Molecular mechanisms in brain metastasis Book Section


Authors: Er, E. E.; Boire, A.
Editors: Ahluwalia, M.; Metellus, P.; Soffietti, R.
Article/Chapter Title: Molecular mechanisms in brain metastasis
Abstract: Although responsible for the vast majority of cancer deaths [1], understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying metastasis lags far behind that of other aspects of carcinogenesis. Of all sites of metastases, those to the central nervous system (CNS) result in disproportionate disability and death [2, 3], reflecting both the physiologic primacy of the CNS and our insufficient understanding of this site of metastasis. Metastasis is perhaps the most overt expression of cancer’s evolutionary dynamics. A central tenant of this paradigm is that tumor heterogeneity provides the necessary variability to allow cancer to adapt to and ultimately flourish within a target secondary organ [4]. In support of this, genomic investigative approaches have found that cancer cells metastatic to the CNS are genetically divergent from their preceding primary tumors [5] and display decreased genetic heterogeneity consistent with a founder effect [6]. It is tempting to posit that common genetic drivers for brain metastasis may result from such selective processes, somatically acquired and selected during tumor evolution. However, despite large-scale efforts, genetic changes have not been found to dictate site of metastasis [4, 7]. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.
Book Title: Central Nervous System Metastases
ISBN: 978-3-030-23416-4
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland Ag  
Publication Place: Cham, Switzerland
Date Published: 2020-01-01
Start Page: 31
End Page: 41
Language: English
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23417-1_3
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Book Chapter: 3 -- Export Date: 3 August 2020 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Adrienne Boire
    105 Boire
  2. Ekrem Emrah   Er
    9 Er