Biology of the Cell

Review: Tumour progression can be broken into distinct stages starting with transformation, leading to unrestricted cell division, angiogenesis, invasion and metastatic spread. Each of these stages present tumour cells with a specific set of challenges, which must be overcome to progress. In this review article we describe the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) and outline how tumours co-opt this adaptive cell stress response pathway to ensure their survival and spread.

Review: Most solid tumours are more rigid than their surrounding environment. In contrast, a growing number of studies show that individual cancer cells are more deformable than their healthy counterparts and that cell softening occurs during cancer progression. The mechanical differences between normal and cancer cells could be primarily due to modifications in the cytoskeleton, but other factors, such as the cell microenvironment, internal membrane trafficking or non-equilibrium active forces, may contribute.

Novel volume imaging methods based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) allow researchers to acquire biological specimens at <10–50 nm resolution in three dimensions. Recent advances have increased reliability and speed of acquisitions, improved image quality and reduced the required amount of manual labour. Volume SEM has the potential to revolutionise ultrastructural investigations of cells and tissues in volumes spanning distances of tens or even hundreds of microns.

Review: Tumour progression can be broken into distinct stages starting with transformation, leading to unrestricted cell division, angiogenesis, invasion and metastatic spread. Each of these stages present tumour cells with a specific set of challenges, which must be overcome to progress. In this review article we describe the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) and outline how tumours co-opt this adaptive cell stress response pathway to ensure their survival and spread.

Microvilli are widespread organelles of animal cells that frequently play a role in sensation and feeding. Ansel et al. reconstitute their origin and evolution by performing a broad morphological survey of microvilli in animals and their unicellular relatives, coupled with a bioinformatic study of the phylogenetic distribution of the main microvillar gene families. They conclude that microvilli likely evolved by modification of filopodia-like structures in unicellular ancestors of animals, and diversified alongside cell types during animal evolution.