Ulrike S. Stein - Metastasis: Methods and Protocols

For further volumes: http://www.springer.com/series/7651 For over 35 years, biological scientists have come to rely on the research protocols and methodologies in the critically acclaimed Methods in Molecular Biology series. The series was the first to introduce the step-by-step protocols approach that has become the standard in all biomedical protocol publishing. Each protocol is provided in readily-reproducible step-by step fashion, opening with an introductory overview, a list of the materials and reagents needed to complete the experiment, and followed by a detailed procedure that is supported with a helpful notes section offering tips and tricks of the trade as well as troubleshooting advice. These hallmark features were introduced by series editor Dr. John Walker and constitute the key ingredient in each and every volume of the Methods in Molecular Biology series. Tested and trusted, comprehensive and reliable, all protocols from the series are indexed in PubMed.

For over 35 years, biological scientists have come to rely on the research protocols and methodologies in the critically acclaimed Methods in Molecular Biology series. The series was the first to introduce the step-by-step protocols approach that has become the standard in all biomedical protocol publishing. Each protocol is provided in readily-reproducible step-by-step fashion, opening with an introductory overview, a list of the materials and reagents needed to complete the experiment, and followed by a detailed procedure that is supported with a helpful notes section offering tips and tricks of the trade as well as troubleshooting advice. These hallmark features were introduced by series editor Dr. John Walker and constitute the key ingredient in each and every volume of the Methods in Molecular Biology series. Tested and trusted, comprehensive and reliable, all protocols from the series are indexed in PubMed.

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Cancer metastasis is the most lethal attribute of cancer. It is estimated that at least 90% of all cancer patients dying from any type of cancer are dying due to cancer metastasis. Cancer metastasis is both the process and the outcome of the process, whereby cancer cells leave a tumor at the primary or original site, spread throughout the body, and seed tumors in new organs or secondary sites. It is mainly metastasis that makes cancer lethal. Although there is no cure for metastasis, only 5% of cancer research funding worldwide is devoted to metastasis research.

With this book edition we will enable current and future basic and translational researchers, clinical scientists, and oncologists to take the challenges and work in this field of research. This book series is devoted to disseminate Methods and Protocols, with focus on those indispensable for state-of-the-art metastasis research.

The first part introduces models useful for metastasis research, starting with Zebrafish models for cancer cell invasion and metastasis, the chicken egg chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model for investigating invasion and the metastasis cascade, in vitro 3D models for tunable stiffness, patient-derived mouse xenografted (PDX) metastasis models from solid tumors for predicting therapy response, and organotypic hippocampal slices to analyze brain metastasis and primary brain tumor growth. In the second part, functional in vitro assays are described, illustrating the steps of the metastatic cascade, such as cancer cell mechanical properties, matrix degradation, cancer cell adhesion, migration, and invasion, platelet aggregation, blood-based pro-metastasis immune cells, bone marrow-derived macrophages, and cancer cell extravasation. The third part describes options for prognostication of metastasis, e.g., by using bioinformatics pipelines to identify metastatic biomarkers, barcoding technology and in vivo assessment for analyzing metastatic abilities and metastatic cell potential, as well as nucleolar contents and proteases to uncover metastatic progression. A last, fourth part complements the book outline with clinical methods, such as imaging procedures and the path toward metastasis research from the clinical setting showing a clinicians perspective.

Finally, we would very much appreciate if also the cancer patient her/himselfwho certainly is the center of all effortsmight benefit from this book. Since when the patient is asking Has it spread?, she/he is actually asking: What is my prognosis? Do I have therapy options? Will I survive? The hope is that this book edition will contribute to a more often optimistic answer to the patient.