Abstract

Tumor metastasis is a main contributor to death in cancer patients. In the last years, a new class of molecules that reduces the metastatic propensity has been identified: metastasis suppressors. These proteins regulate multiple steps in the metastatic cascade, including cell invasion, survival in the vascular and lymphatic circulation, and colonization of distant organ sites. As a consequence, they are very important therapeutic targets. This review discusses our current understanding of metastasis suppressors and how this knowledge might be useful to improve the treatment of cancer patients.

Keywords: Metastasis suppressor genes, metastatic cascade, suppressor-based therapies, cancer cell types, colonize ectopic tissue, metastatic process, Paget hypothesized, Innumerable oncogenes, amino acids, human genome, oral squamous cells, metastatic melanoma, Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (SGBS), micrometastatic tumor cells