Inhibiting tissue invasion and metastasis as targets for cancer therapy.

Many of the steps involved in cancer spread are potential targets for anti-metastatic treatment. Until recently, research aimed at inhibiting metastasis has concentrated on the proteases, especially on urokinase-type plasminogen activator and collagenase IV. However, recent data suggests that both adhesion proteins and motility factors could also serve as targets for new treatments to prevent cancer invasion and metastasis. Almost all the work to date using anti-metastatic agents has been carried out using either in vitro artificial membranes or with animal models. It is, however, likely that some of the inhibitors of experimental metastasis which are described will be evaluated in clinical trials in the near future.