Bone metastases are common complications of many cancers. Among the mechanisms that
set the scene for the development of bone metastases, several are shared by all forms of
metastatic dissemination (pre-metastatic niche formation and chemotactic attraction of
malignant cells, which invade the host tissue) and others are specific of bone tissue (homing
of malignant cells to bone marrow niches and acquisition of an osteomimetic cell
phenotype). After a latency period that can last several years, the malignant cells can …