Fig.1.

Metastatic cascade post-extravastion. After extravasation, the MME modulates tumor cell plasticity, dormancy and emergence. Successful colonization by DTCs and entrance into a dormant state involves a cancer-associated mesenchymal to epithelial reverting transition (cMErT) and establishing heterotypic E-cadherin connections with the resident cells of the metastatic organ. After a period of time, dormant cells may be stimulated by inflammatory signals to outgrow and undergo a second cancer-associated epithelial to mesenchymal transition (cEMT). The inflammatory signals are produced following homeostatic disruption (either systemically or locally). They may act to stimulate outgrowth of dormant cells directly or indirectly by activating innate immune or stromal cells in the MME which then produce mitogenic signals. Made with Affinity Designer 1.7.0.