| [ Summary ] |
The process of cancer metastasis is sequential, selective and consists of a series of interlinked though independent steps. To produce metastasis, tumor cells must complete all steps, which involve the angiogenesis, motility, invasion, survival in the circulation, adhesion, extravasation, and proliferation. Numerous reports have demonstrated that in different tumor systems the metastatic potential of cells correlates directly with the expression of different genes. Our molecular biological studies have shown that matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), especially membrane type MMP (MT-MMP), as well as neovascularization controlled by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor, kinase domain receptor (KDR) are important factors in the metastatic potential of gastric cancer. |