@article {19107,
	title = {Mechanotransducing ECM: Cross-talk between pre-metasratic niche and cancer cells},
	journal = {Chem2Nature Second School},
	year = {2017},
	month = {2017-06-05 00:00:00},
	address = {Vincci Porto Rua Alameda Basilio Teles, 29-33 4150-127 Porto, Portugal},
	abstract = {<p style="text-align: justify;">The "seed-soil" concept of cancer metastasis postulates the dependent interactions between "seed" (i.e. cancer cells) with soil (i.e. host-microenvironment)<sup>1</sup>, which transform our understanding of cancer from a disease of tumor cells into a disease of imbalance<sup>2</sup>. Extracellular matrix (ECM) is the most abundant tumor microenvironment playing critical role in cancer metastasis and tissue tension homeostasis; while undergoing structural rearrangement. Metastasis involves in invasion of primary tumor cells through basement membrane and ECM to circulatory system. Basement membrane displays thixotropic properties during tumor cell-endothelial cell interaction and tumor cell migration. Therefore, incorporation of a\&nbsp;thixotropic (time-dependent shear thinning property)\&nbsp;component, such as natural silk protein silk fibroin nanofibrils into the ECM gel network serve as more realistic modeling of tumor microenvironment <em>in vitro</em>. The nanofibrils of silk with thixotropic property can easily be obtained via fibrillar self-assembly and centrifugation. The regulation of\&nbsp;thixotropic properties of silk nanofibrils is presently under investigation in order to understand the regulation of the mechano-transducing property of fabricated ECM in future. The goal of this work is to elaborate the cross-talk between ECM-cancer cells in order to develop ECM targeting therapeutics and the insight of metastatic process.</p>},
	keywords = {cancer microenvironment, Extracellular matrix, Metastasis, Physical cues},
	url = {http://chem2nature.eu/},
	author = {Kundu, B. and Correlo, V. M. and Oliveira, J. M. and Reis, R. L. and Kundu, S. C.}
}
