Lysyl oxidase mediates hypoxic control of metastasis

Hypoxic cancer cells pose a great challenge to the oncologist because they are especially aggressive, metastatic, and resistant to therapy. Recently, we showed that elevation of the extracellular matrix protein lysyl oxidase (LOX) correlates with metastatic disease and is essential for hypoxia-induced metastasis. In an orthotopic rodent model of breast cancer, a small-molecule or antibody inhibitor of LOX abolished metastasis, offering preclinical validation of this enzyme as a therapeutic target.