Relationship between anoikis and tumor invasion and metastasis

Anoikis, a specific form of programmed cell death, is triggered by cell detachment from extracellular matrix or adjacent cell. Studies have found that the most kinds of tumor cells had anoikis resistance characteristic, which may inhibit pro-apoptosis protein, block anoikis inside and outside pathways, up-regulate pro-survival factor signals, and promote survival, invasion and metastasis of tumor cells in the end. The review summarized the mechanism of anoikis and the relationship between anoikis and tumor invasion and the metastasis. Key words: Neoplasms; Anoikis; Neoplasm invasiveness; Neoplasm metastasis