Involvement of Vimentin Intermediate Filaments in Overcoming Tissue Barriers During Cancer Cell Dissemination.

The ability to overcome numerous tissue barriers during metastasis is a characteristic feature of tumor cells. This ability is acquired during tumor progression and represents a significant challenge for the development of therapeutic strategies. The intermediate filament protein vimentin is an important regulator of the cellular mechanisms that enable overcoming of tissue barriers. While vimentin was previously considered an activator of cell migration, raising hopes of halting metastasis by suppressing its expression, recent data indicate that vimentin's role in regulating tumor cell spreading is far more complex, and in some cases, vimentin suppression can stimulate migration. In this review, we analyze the latest data regarding the involvement of vimentin intermediate filaments in regulation of tumor cell migratory plasticity and examine the key cellular mechanisms involved in this regulation. Knowledge of these mechanisms is important for understanding the regulation of metastasis processes.