Fig. 2: Intravasation and migration of CTM. | Experimental & Molecular Medicine

Fig. 2: Intravasation and migration of CTM.

From: Brain metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer: crosstalk between cancer cells and tumor microenvironment components

Fig. 2

Invasion and CTC survival can be categorized into three main steps. (I) Intravasation or trans-endothelial migration is the initial step of invasion. (II) CTM formation is crucial for CTC survival. CTM, which constitute aggregates of CTCs and TME cells, possess increased anti-apoptotic potential and superior anoikis resistance. (III) The migration of CTM is facilitated through active support provided by TME components within the cluster. CTM aggregates immune components, such as platelets and neutrophils, and stromal components, such as CAFs, which further enhance metastatic potential.

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