[Recent progress in the development of anti-tumor metastatic drugs].

Metastasis is often a terminal stage of cancer when tumor fragments lodge and grow in different parts of the body. There is currently no way to prevent metastasis, and there are few effective treatments. We believe that it is very important to develop an anti-tumor metastatic drug. Recent studies on the mechanism of tumor metastasis reveal that this multi-step process requires complex interaction between the tumor cells and their environment. In vitro experiments and animal cancer model studies have shown that the inhibitors of invasion (including adhesion, proteolysis, and migration) and neovascularization may suppress tumor metastasis. The author show a the mechanism of tumor metastasis, an in vitro screening method, and the recent progress of the development of various candidate anti-tumor metastatic drugs, including invasion inhibiting factor-2. Finally, the importance of the development of an anti-tumor metastatic drug in Japan is underscored.