The role of endothelial cells in the formation of early metastatic niches in the lung

NARRATIVE The rate-limiting step in metastatic progression is the colonization of circulating tumor cells into distant organs. Since the lung is the most common site of metastases, we are investigating the role of cells in the normal lung that promote the colonization of circulating, metastatic tumor cells. Specifically, we will study the role of lung endothelial cells in providing a protective environment for tumor cells to survive in the lung by their production of extracellular matrix proteins.