Focus on science—Membrane ruffling of cancer cells: A parameter of tumour cell motility and invasion

Membrane ruffling of cells is a dynamic and rapid movement with irregular fluctuation of protrusion and withdrawal of the margin of the cell surface membrane. The ruffling can be seen in two major types: ruffling around the periphery and leading edge of an adherent cell and circular ruffling on the dorsal surface. A number of cytokines have been shown to increase membrane ruffling, and methods of decreasing ruffling are now being reported. Membrane ruffling has been shown to relate to metastatic status in tumour cells obtained by fine needle aspiration, while in-vitro and animal tumour studies show it to be an indicator of tumour cell motility and metastatic potential. If these latter findings can be confirmed as applicable to clinical tumours as well, the establishment of such a relationship may be useful in predicting invasion and metastasis in human tumours, as well as providing a model to study methods of inhibiting or reversing metastatic potential.