ArticlePloS one2013
Astrocytes directly influence tumor cell invasion and metastasis in vivo.
Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 66 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
66 citing papers in PubMed, 109 citations in OpenAlex.
- Distinct immune landscapes characterize highly versus minimally invasive brain metastases.JCI insight · 2026Article
- Breast Cancer-Derived Extracellular Vesicle miR-425-5p (miR-425) Promotes Brain Metastasis via Activating Astrocytes Through the Novel miR-425-ZNF24-CCL8 Signaling Axis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Blood-brain barrier alterations as an initiator of brain metastasis from lung cancer: a new take on an old story.Cancer gene therapy · 2025Review
- Deciphering the Dialogue between Brain Tumors, Neurons, and Astrocytes.The American journal of pathology · 2025Review
- Targeting the glioblastoma resection margin with locoregional nanotechnologies.Nature reviews. Clinical oncology · 2025Review
- CCL2 blockade combined with PD-1/P-selectin immunomodulators impedes breast cancer brain metastasis.Brain : a journal of neurology · 2025Article
- Breaking boundaries: role of the brain barriers in metastatic process.Fluids and barriers of the CNS · 2025Review
- The double role of GABAergic system in systemic tumors: an updated review.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Review
- Analysis of neuroglia and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of breast cancer brain metastasis.Cancer biology & therapy · 2024Review
- Invasive growth of brain metastases is linked to CHI3L1 release from pSTAT3-positive astrocytes.Neuro-oncology · 2024Article
- Harnessing immunotherapy for brain metastases: insights into tumor-brain microenvironment interactions and emerging treatment modalities.Journal of hematology & oncology · 2023Review
- Noggin contributes to brain metastatic colonization of lung cancer cells.Cancer cell international · 2023Article
- Inflammasome activation in peritumoral astrocytes is a key player in breast cancer brain metastasis development.Acta neuropathologica communications · 2023Article
- Navigating the Blood-Brain Barrier: Challenges and Therapeutic Strategies in Breast Cancer Brain Metastases.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Differential Distribution of Brain Metastases from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Based on Mutation Status.Brain sciences · 2023Article
- Leveraging translational insights toward precision medicine approaches for brain metastases.Nature cancer · 2023Review
- Extracellular vesicles in the breast cancer brain metastasis: physiological functions and clinical applications.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2023Review
- Breast cancer extracellular vesicles-derived miR-1290 activates astrocytes in the brain metastatic microenvironment via the FOXA2→CNTF axis to promote progression of brain metastases.Cancer letters · 2022Article
- Astrocytic responses to high glucose impair barrier formation in cerebral microvessel endothelial cells.American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology · 2022Article
- Review
6 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Brain metastasis is a defining component of tumor pathophysiology, and the underlying mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon are not well understood. Current dogma is that tumor cells stimulate and activate astrocytes, and this mutual relationship is critical for tumor cell sustenance in the brain. Here, we provide evidence that primary rat neonatal and adult astrocytes secrete factors that proactively induced human lung and breast tumor cell invasion and metastasis capabilities. Among which, tumor invasion factors namely matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 were partly responsible for the astrocyte media-induced tumor cell invasion. Inhibiting MMPs reduced the ability of tumor cell to migrate and invade in vitro. Further, injection of astrocyte media-conditioned breast cancer cells in mice showed increased invasive activity to the brain and other distant sites. More importantly, blocking the preconditioned tumor cells with broad spectrum MMP inhibitor decreased the invasion and metastasis of the tumor cells, in particular to the brain in vivo. Collectively, our data implicate astrocyte-derived MMP-2 and MMP-9 as critical players that facilitate tumor cell migration and invasion leading to brain metastasis.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.