Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to promote scientific understanding of cell–matrix adhesion and interactions between cancer cells and their surroundings which trigger metastasis and influence the evolution of malignant phenotypes such as drug resistance. Particularly welcome are short communications, review articles, original articles, and commentaries that focus on:

Cell-adhesion-mediated drug resistance and tumor metastasis;
The development of new therapeutic strategies to overcome metastasis or drug resistance by targeting new adhesion molecules in cancer treatments;
The development of new clinically relevant in vitro (microfluidics and lab-on-chip devices) and in vivo tumor metastasis models;
The discovery of new biomarkers (proteomic analysis and new gene mutations) involved in tumor metastasis and drug resistance;
Altered expressions of adhesion molecules with prognostic significance in cancer patients.

Dr. Zhongwei Liu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

adhesion molecules
epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)
tumor microenvironment (TME)
metastasis
drug resistance
biomarkers
extracellular matrix (ECM)
microfluidics
epidemiology

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 3975 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Isocorydine Exerts Anticancer Activity by Disrupting the Energy Metabolism and Filamentous Actin Structures of Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cells

by Qiaozhen Zhou, Qianqian Zhang, Lingzi Liao, Qian Li, Huidan Qu, Xinyu Wang, Ying Zhou, Guangzeng Zhang, Mingliang Sun, Kailiang Zhang and Baoping Zhang

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(1), 650-662; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cimb46010042 - 09 Jan 2024

Viewed by 758

Abstract

Isocorydine (ICD) exhibits strong antitumor effects on numerous human cell lines. However, the anticancer activity of ICD against oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been reported. The anticancer activity, migration and invasion ability, and changes in the cytoskeleton morphology and mechanical properties of ICD in OSCC were determined. Changes in the contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), ATP, and mitochondrial respiratory chain complex enzymes Ⅰ–Ⅳ in cancer cells were studied. ICD significantly inhibited the proliferation of oral tongue squamous cells (Cal-27), with an IC50 of 0.61 mM after 24 h of treatment. The invasion, migration, and adhesion of cancer cells were decreased, and cytoskeletal actin was deformed and depolymerized. In comparison to an untreated group, the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex enzymes I-IV were significantly decreased by 50.72%, 27.39%, 77.27%, and 73.89%, respectively. The ROS production increased, the MMP decreased by 43.65%, and the ATP content decreased to 17.1 ± 0.001 (mmol/mL); ultimately, the apoptosis rate of cancer cells increased up to 10.57% after 24 h of action. These findings suggest that ICD exerted an obvious anticancer activity against OSCC and may inhibit Cal-27 proliferation and growth by causing mitochondrial dysfunction and interrupting cellular energy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adhesion, Metastasis and Inhibition of Cancer Cells, 2nd Edition)

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Review

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 698 KiB

Open AccessReview

Role of Filamin A in Growth and Migration of Breast Cancer—Review

by Patryk Zawadka, Wioletta Zielińska, Maciej Gagat and Magdalena Izdebska

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(4), 3408-3423; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cimb46040214 - 17 Apr 2024

Viewed by 592

Abstract

Despite ongoing research in the field of breast cancer, the morbidity rates indicate that the disease remains a significant challenge. While patients with primary tumors have relatively high survival rates, these chances significantly decrease once metastasis begins. Thus, exploring alternative approaches, such as targeting proteins overexpressed in malignancies, remains significant. Filamin A (FLNa), an actin-binding protein (ABP), is involved in various cellular processes, including cell migration, adhesion, proliferation, and DNA repair. Overexpression of the protein was confirmed in samples from patients with numerous oncological diseases such as prostate, lung, gastric, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer, as well as breast cancer. Although most researchers concur on its role in promoting breast cancer progression and aggressiveness, discrepancies exist among studies. Moreover, the precise mechanisms through which FLNa affects cell migration, invasion, and even cancer progression remain unclear, highlighting the need for further research. To evaluate FLNa’s potential as a therapeutic target, we have summarized its roles in breast cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adhesion, Metastasis and Inhibition of Cancer Cells, 2nd Edition)

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