Bissell, Ghajar and colleagues use organotypic culture systems and in vivo mouse and zebrafish models to reveal the distinct effects of different microvascular niches on tumour cell dormancy. They report that although the stable microvasculature promotes cancer cell quiescence through the production of thrombospondin-1, cancer cells residing near neovascular tips are induced to grow through the action of TGF-β and periostin.
- Cyrus M. Ghajar
- Héctor Peinado
- Mina J. Bissell
