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Abstract Cancer metastasis is the leading cause of death for those afflicted with cancer. In cancer metastasis, the cancer cells break off from the primary tumor, penetrate nearby blood vessels, and attach and extravasate out of the vessels to form secondary tumors at distant organs. This makes extravasation a critical step of the metastatic cascade. Herein, with a focus on triple‐negative breast cancer, the role that the prospective secondary tumor microenvironment's mechanical properties play in circulating tumor cells' extravasation is reviewed. Specifically, the effects of the physically regulated vascular endothelial glycocalyx barrier element, vascular flow factors, and subendothelial extracellular matrix mechanical properties on cancer cell extravasation are examined. The ultimate goal of this review is to clarify the physical mechanisms that drive triple‐negative breast cancer extravasation, as these mechanisms may be potential new targets for anti‐metastasis therapy.
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The Biophysics of Cancer: Emerging Insights from Micro‐ and Nanoscale Tools
Cancer is a complex and dynamic disease that is aberrant both biologically and physically. There is growing appreciation that physical abnormalities with both cancer cells and their microenvironment that span multiple length scales are important drivers for cancer growth and metastasis. The scope of this review is to highlight the key advancements in micro‐ and nanoscale tools for delineating the cause and consequences of the aberrant physical properties of tumors. Herein, the following three important physical aspects of cancer are focused: 1) solid mechanical properties, 2) fluid mechanical properties, and 3) mechanical alterations to cancer cells. Beyond posing physical barriers to the delivery of cancer therapeutics, these properties are also known to influence numerous biological processes, including cancer cell invasion and migration leading to metastasis, and response and resistance to therapy. There is a comment on how micro‐ and nanoscale tools have transformed the fundamental understanding of the physical dynamics of cancer progression and their potential for bridging toward future applications at the interface of oncology and physical sciences.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1752106
- PAR ID:
- 10361330
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Advanced NanoBiomed Research
- Volume:
- 2
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2699-9307
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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