Attempts to Understand Metastasis Formation III

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XV

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2. Micrometastasis Detection and Treatment with Monoclonal Antibodies

   • K. Pantel, G. Riethmüller

   Pages 1-18

3. Transcriptionally Targeted Gene Therapy

   • I. R. Hart

   Pages 19-25

4. Recombinant Antibody Fusion Proteins for Cancer Immunotherapy

   • R. A. Reisfeld, S. D. Gillies

   Pages 27-53

5. Influence of Local Cytokines on Tumor Metastasis: Using Cytokine Gene-Transfected Tumor Cells As Experimental Models

   • Z. Qin, T. Blankenstein

   Pages 55-64

6. Antitumor and Antimetastatic Activity of lnterleukin-12

   • J. A. Hendrzak, M. J. Brunda

   Pages 65-83

7. Curing Metastases? Gene and Peptide Therapy

   • Lea Eisenbach

   Pages 85-100

8. Effect of Antisense Inhibition of Urokinase Receptor on Malignancy

   • L. Ossowski

   Pages 101-112

9. Intervention in Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-Mediated Pathways: Recombinant Antibody Fusion Proteins Targeted to ErbB2

   • W. Wels, B. Groner, N. E. Hynes

   Pages 113-128

10. Interactions Between CD44 and Hyaluronic Acid: Their Role in Tumor Growth and Metastasis

    • M. S. Sy, D. Liu, R. Schiavone, J. Ma, H. Mori, Y. Guo

    Pages 129-153

11. Does Soluble CD44 Reflect the Clinical Behavior of Human Cancer?

    • R. Ristamäki, H. Joensuu, S. Jalkanen

    Pages 155-166

12. Signal Transduction As a Therapeutic Target

    • R. Alessandro, J. Spoonster, R. P. Wersto, E. C. Kohn

    Pages 167-188

13. Immunotherapy of Metastases

    • V. Schirrmacher, V. Umansky, M. Rocha

    Pages 189-216

14. Immunological and Biochemical Modulation in the Treatment of Advanced Colorectal Cancer: Update and Future Directions

    • R. U. Hilgenfeld, E. D. Kreuser

    Pages 217-240

15. Surgical and Multimodality Approaches to Liver Metastases

    • P. M. Schlag, M. Hünerbein, P. Hohenberger

    Pages 241-255

16. Back Matter

    Pages 257-264

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In metastasis, tumor cells disseminate from the primary lesion and home to secondary organs where they may remain dormant for a long time. Metastasis formation is still the most feared manifestation for tumor patients and clinicians. Although improvements have been made concerning earlier detection and specific therapy, most of the cancer patients still die of distant metastases. The purpose of these three volumes is to review the recent progress in molecular metas­ tasis research and to attempt to further understand the biol­ ogy of this multifocal process. With respect to present day molecular biology, the pioneers of metastasis research established the basic concepts of metasta­ sis formation in the 1970s and 1980s, namely, clonal selection of metastatic cells, heterogeneity of metastatic subpopulations, organ specificity of metastasis and the importance of angio­ genesis (Fidler, Kripke, Nicolson, Folkman and others). In the 1980s and 1990s, several of the molecules involved were identified and their network interactions elucidated. These three volumes of Current Topics in Microbiology and Immuno­ logy compile the most recent developments on these meta­ stasis-related molecules; their interactions, regulation, and ways to interfere with their action. It became evident that metastasis-related molecules are confined to distinct cellular compartments, such as the extracellular space, the cell membrane, the cytoplasmic signalling network, and the nuclear regulatory system. For the complex metastatic cascade, proteolysis and alterations in adhesive functions are the most obvious and thus one of the most thoroughly investigated processes.

• Geschwulst
• Krebs
• Krebstherapie
• angiogenesis
• cell
• cytokine
• cytokines
• gene
• gene therapy
• immunotherapy
• metastasis
• molecular biology
• regulation
• tumor
• tumor progression

• Basel Institute for Immunology, Basel, Switzerland

  Ursula Günthert

• Virchow Klinikum, Chirurgische Abteilung, Robert-Rössle-Klinik, Max-Delbrück-Centrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany

  Peter M. Schlag

• Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin, Berlin, Germany

  Walter Birchmeier

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