Analyzing the Roles of Rho GTPases in Cancer Cell Adhesion to Endothelial Cells Under Flow Conditions.

Adhesion between cancer cells and endothelial cells, lining the blood vessels, is an important event in tumor progression and metastasis formation. The expression of Rho GTPases is frequently altered in cancers, and they are known to regulate cell migration through their effects on adhesion and cytoskeletal dynamics. Several different types of assays are used to investigate how cancer cells attach to and cross the endothelium. Here, we describe an in vitro technique to study the effects of Rho GTPases on human cancer cell adhesion to endothelial cells under shear stress coupled to live cell imaging.