Research Highlights
Short, accessible highlights that summarize and put into context must-read papers related to cell migration.
January 2009
Inflammation: Recruitment freeze
Standfirst
Recent findings show that DEL1 (developmental endothelial locus 1; also known as EDIL3) — a glycoprotein secreted by endothelial cells — can inhibit the process that leukocytes use to bind to the vascular endothelium and enter inflamed tissues.
Nature Reviews Immunology 9, 6 - 7 (2008)doi:10.1038/nri2472
Metastasis: Moved to act
Standfirst
A recent study has shown that differential activation of the small GTPases Rac and Rho determines whether a tumour cell uses an amoeboid-like or a mesenchymal-like type of movement.
Nature Reviews Cancer 9, 3 (2009)doi:10.1038/nrc2564
Improving cancer cell imaging
Standfirst
The visualization of cancer cells in vivo has now become easier with the development of a new activatable fluorescent probe that has minimal background signal and a high tumour-to-normal-tissue detection ratio.
Nature Reviews Cancer 9, 9 (2008)doi:10.1038/nrc2580
Cytoskeleton: Invading forces
Standfirst
The Enabled (Ena)/vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (Vasp) family member MENA, which binds to and regulates actin dynamics, has been shown to promote invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells.
Nature Reviews Cancer 9, 12 - 13 (2008)doi:10.1038/nrc2579
