乳腺癌的转移是一个较为复杂、由多基因参与及多步骤完成的过程,转移相关基因对转移的调控是肿瘤发生转移的分子基础.所谓转移相关基因是一类功能上能够促进或阻断肿瘤转移潜能而不影响肿瘤细胞生长增殖的基因,其总体可分为两大类:转移促进基因和转移抑制基因,它们涉及癌基因、抑癌基因、信号转导基因以及黏附分子基因、细胞因子基因、基质金属蛋白酶基因等.乳腺癌转移相关基因的作用机制及下游信号转导途径的阐明,将为转移性乳腺癌的分子诊断和个体化治疗奠定基础.
Breast cancer metastasis is a complicated process driven by muhiple genes and follows multiple steps. The regulation of metastasis-associated genes is the molecular basis for metastasis. Metastasis-associated genes can promote or suppress the metastasis potential of tumor cells without affecting their growth and proliferation. Generally, metastasis-associated genes fall into two categories: metastasis-promoter genes and metastasis-suppressor genes, including oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, signaling molecule genes, adhesion molecule genes, cytokine genes, matrix metalioproteinase genes, etc. The elucidation of the underlying mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis-associated genes and the related downstream signaling pathways can facilitate the molecular diagnosis and individualized therapy of patients with metastasic breast cancers.