Colorectalcancerhepaticmetastasesrepresentthefinalstageofamulti-stepbiologicalprocess.Thisprocessstartswithaseriesofmutationsincolonicepithelialcells,continueswiththeirdetachmentfromthelargeintestine,disseminationthroughthebloodand/orlymphaticcirculation,attachmenttothehepaticsinusoidsandinteractionswiththesinusoidalcells,suchassinusoidalendothelialcells,Kupffercells,stellatecellsandpitcells.Themetastaticsequenceterminateswithcolorectalcancercellinvasion,adaptationandcolonisationofthehepaticparenchyma.Alltheseevents,termedthecolorectalcancerinvasion-metastasiscascade,includemultiplemolecularpathways,intercellularinteractionsandexpressionofaplethoraofchemokinesandgrowthfactors,andadhesionmolecules,suchastheselectins,theintegrinsorthecadherins,aswellasenzymesincludingmatrixmetalloproteinases.Thisreviewaimstopresentrecentadvancesthatprovideinsightsintothesecell-biologicaleventsandemphasizesthosethatmaybeamenabletotherapeutictargeting.
