15 research outputs found
The role of the tissue microenvironment in the regulation of cancer cell motility and invasion
During malignant neoplastic progression the cells undergo genetic and epigenetic cancer-specific alterations that finally lead to a loss of tissue homeostasis and restructuring of the microenvironment. The invasion of cancer cells through connective tissue is a crucial prerequisite for metastasis formation. Although cell invasion is foremost a mechanical process, cancer research has focused largely on gene regulation and signaling that underlie uncontrolled cell growth. More recently, the genes and signals involved in the invasion and transendothelial migration of cancer cells, such as the role of adhesion molecules and matrix degrading enzymes, have become the focus of research. In this review we discuss how the structural and biomechanical properties of extracellular matrix and surrounding cells such as endothelial cells influence cancer cell motility and invasion. We conclude that the microenvironment is a critical determinant of the migration strategy and the efficiency of cancer cell invasion
The close-packed triple helix as a possible new structural motif for collagen
The one-dimensional problem of selecting the triple helix with the highest
volume fraction is solved and hence the condition for a helix to be
close-packed is obtained. The close-packed triple helix is shown to have a
pitch angle of . Contrary to the conventional notion, we
suggest that close packing form the underlying principle behind the structure
of collagen, and the implications of this suggestion are considered. Further,
it is shown that the unique zero-twist structure with no strain-twist coupling
is practically identical to the close-packed triple helix. Some of the
difficulties for the current understanding of the structure of collagen are
reviewed: The ambiguity in assigning crystal structures for collagen-like
peptides, and the failure to satisfactorily calculate circular dichroism
spectra. Further, the proposed new geometrical structure for collagen is better
packed than both the 10/3 and the 7/2 structure. A feature of the suggested
collagen structure is the existence of a central channel with negatively
charged walls. We find support for this structural feature in some of the early
x-ray diffraction data of collagen. The central channel of the structure
suggests the possibility of a one-dimensional proton lattice. This geometry can
explain the observed magic angle effect seen in NMR studies of collagen. The
central channel also offers the possibility of ion transport and may cast new
light on various biological and physical phenomena, including
biomineralization.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure
Longitudinal monitoring of Gaussia and Nano luciferase activities to concurrently assess ER calcium homeostasis and ER stress in vivo
Nutrient shortage triggers the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway via the GCN2-ATF4 signalling pathway
Discovery of a Biological Mechanism of Active Transport through the Tympanic Membrane to the Middle Ear
Bacterial nanocellulose stimulates mesenchymal stem cell expansion and formation of stable collagen-I networks as a novel biomaterial in tissue engineering
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are characterised by differential activation of ER stress pathways: focus on UPR target genes
Rapid Patterning of 1-D Collagenous Topography as an ECM Protein Fibril Platform for Image Cytometry
Erratum: Proteostasis control by the unfolded protein response
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