Affiliation:
1. School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
2. Departament de Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques, Universitat de Lleida and IRBLleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 80, 25198 Lleida, Spain
Abstract
Cancer metastasis, the process by which tumour cells spread throughout the body and form secondary tumours at distant sites, is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The metastatic cascade is a highly complex process encompassing initial dissemination from the primary tumour, travel through the blood stream or lymphatic system, and the colonisation of distant organs. However, the factors enabling cells to survive this stressful process and adapt to new microenvironments are not fully characterised. Drosophila have proven a powerful system in which to study this process, despite important caveats such as their open circulatory system and lack of adaptive immune system. Historically, larvae have been used to model cancer due to the presence of pools of proliferating cells in which tumours can be induced, and transplanting these larval tumours into adult hosts has enabled tumour growth to be monitored over longer periods. More recently, thanks largely to the discovery that there are stem cells in the adult midgut, adult models have been developed. We focus this review on the development of different Drosophila models of metastasis and how they have contributed to our understanding of important factors determining metastatic potential, including signalling pathways, the immune system and the microenvironment.
Funder
Wellcome Trust
National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research
Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
Reference105 articles.
1. Drosophila Melanogaster: A Model and a Tool to Investigate Malignancy and Identify New Therapeutics;Gonzalez;Nat. Rev. Cancer,2013
2. Mosaic Analysis with a Repressible Cell Marker for Studies of Gene Function in Neuronal Morphogenesis;Lee;Neuron,1999
3. New Advances in Drosophila Provide Opportunities to Study Gene Functions;Perrimon;Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,1998
4. The Interplay between Obesity and Cancer: A Fly View;Hirabayashi;Dis. Model Mech.,2016
5. Warr, C.G., Shaw, K.H., Azim, A., Piper, M.D.W., and Parsons, L.M. (2018). Using Mouse and Drosophila Models to Investigate the Mechanistic Links between Diet, Obesity, Type II Diabetes, and Cancer. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 19.