Cell migration is an important function for many cells. However, this basic cell function is also at play when a localized benign tumor is transformed into a metastatic and deadly cancer. In the process of metastasis, individual cells detach from the primary tumor and start to migrate to invade either nearby tissue or to enter lymphatic vessels or the bloodstream and then colonize in distant organs.
A deeper understanding of the process of cell migration may lead to new therapeutic strategies for the inhibition of tumor cell invasion. Importantly, the identification of new proteins involved in cancer cell migration could provide new targets for drug intervention in metastatic cancers.