Abstract
It has traditionally been accepted that, in the process of cellular differentiation, developmental options are progressively restricted until commitment to a specific fate is established and then only terminal differentiation along this lineage is possible. Although this is usually the case in normal physiological development, the latest experimental evidences indicate that the differentiated state of mature cells is not always as stable and durable as it was thought to be. In fact, recently, a hidden plasticity has been revealed in differentiated cells which allows them to deviate to other cell types that might be, functionally, very far away in other developmental pathways. This plasticity has biological significance since it is necessary for normal development to occur, but it also makes possible the emergence of aberrant lineages when interferences with the normal transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms in charge of maintaining cellular identity do appear. Cancer is one of the possible outcomes of this aberrant reprogramming. The plasticity of the initial cell suffering the first oncogenic alteration plays an essential role in cancer development, since only if this cell possesses enough plasticity a tumoral reprogramming will be possible and a full-blown tumor will develop. Also, plasticity makes it possible for differentiated cells to acquire cancer stem cell properties in the presence of the appropriate oncogenic insults. In this review we discuss the role of cellular plasticity in the normal development of adult tissues and how cellular susceptibility to reprogramming plays an essential part in cancer development.
Keywords: Plasticity, development, differentiation, stem cells, cancer, cancer stem cells, Outcome
Current Medicinal Chemistry
Title: The Role of Cellular Plasticity in Cancer Development
Volume: 16 Issue: 28
Author(s): C. Vicente-Duenas, J. Gutierrez de Diego, F. D. Rodriguez, R. Jimenez and C. Cobaleda
Affiliation:
Keywords: Plasticity, development, differentiation, stem cells, cancer, cancer stem cells, Outcome
Abstract: It has traditionally been accepted that, in the process of cellular differentiation, developmental options are progressively restricted until commitment to a specific fate is established and then only terminal differentiation along this lineage is possible. Although this is usually the case in normal physiological development, the latest experimental evidences indicate that the differentiated state of mature cells is not always as stable and durable as it was thought to be. In fact, recently, a hidden plasticity has been revealed in differentiated cells which allows them to deviate to other cell types that might be, functionally, very far away in other developmental pathways. This plasticity has biological significance since it is necessary for normal development to occur, but it also makes possible the emergence of aberrant lineages when interferences with the normal transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms in charge of maintaining cellular identity do appear. Cancer is one of the possible outcomes of this aberrant reprogramming. The plasticity of the initial cell suffering the first oncogenic alteration plays an essential role in cancer development, since only if this cell possesses enough plasticity a tumoral reprogramming will be possible and a full-blown tumor will develop. Also, plasticity makes it possible for differentiated cells to acquire cancer stem cell properties in the presence of the appropriate oncogenic insults. In this review we discuss the role of cellular plasticity in the normal development of adult tissues and how cellular susceptibility to reprogramming plays an essential part in cancer development.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Vicente-Duenas C., de Diego Gutierrez J., Rodriguez D. F., Jimenez R. and Cobaleda C., The Role of Cellular Plasticity in Cancer Development, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2009; 16 (28) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/092986709789105019
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/092986709789105019 |
Print ISSN 0929-8673 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-533X |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Medicinal Chemistry: From Cancer to Chronic Diseases.
The broad spectrum of the issue will provide a comprehensive overview of emerging trends, novel therapeutic interventions, and translational insights that impact modern medicine. The primary focus will be diseases of global concern, including cancer, chronic pain, metabolic disorders, and autoimmune conditions, providing a broad overview of the advancements in ...read more
Approaches to the treatment of chronic inflammation
Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of numerous diseases, significantly impacting global health. Although chronic inflammation is a hot topic, not much has been written about approaches to its treatment. This thematic issue aims to showcase the latest advancements in chronic inflammation treatment and foster discussion on future directions in this ...read more
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Non-Infectious Inflammatory Diseases: Focus on Clinical Implications
The Special Issue covers the results of the studies on cellular and molecular mechanisms of non-infectious inflammatory diseases, in particular, autoimmune rheumatic diseases, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and other age-related disorders such as type II diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, etc. Review and research articles as well as methodology papers that summarize ...read more
Chalcogen-modified nucleic acid analogues
Chalcogen-modified nucleosides, nucleotides and oligonucleotides have been of great interest to scientific research for many years. The replacement of oxygen in the nucleobase, sugar or phosphate backbone by chalcogen atoms (sulfur, selenium, tellurium) gives these biomolecules unique properties resulting from their altered physical and chemical properties. The continuing interest in ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
A Review of the Current Role of Proton Therapy in Modern Oncology
Current Drug Therapy NMR-based Drug Development and Improvement Against Malignant Melanoma – Implications for the MIA Protein Family
Current Medicinal Chemistry Targeted Therapies in Bone Sarcomas
Current Cancer Drug Targets Multifunctional Proteins in Tumorigenesis: Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases and Translational Components
Current Proteomics Cellular Signaling in Cartilage Tissue Engineering
Current Signal Transduction Therapy Cancer Gene Therapy with Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases (TIMPs)
Current Gene Therapy Allelic Imbalances of the egfr Gene as Key Events in Breast Cancer Progression – the Concept of Committed Progenitor Cells
Current Cancer Drug Targets Cartilage and Bone Extracellular Matrix
Current Pharmaceutical Design Molecular Links Between Diabetes and Osteoarthritis: The Role of Physical Activity
Current Diabetes Reviews The Medicinal Chemistry of Theragnostics, Multimodality Imaging and Applications of Nanotechnology in Cancer
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry MDM2 Increases Drug Resistance in Cancer Cells by Inducing EMT Independent of p53
Current Medicinal Chemistry Modulation of MMPs by Cell Surface Integrin Receptor α5β1
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry The Urokinase Plasminogen Activator System: A Target for Anti-Cancer Therapy
Current Cancer Drug Targets Molecular Link Mechanisms between Inflammation and Cancer
Current Pharmaceutical Design Paeonol Inhibits Migration, Invasion and Bone Adhesion of Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells
Current Signal Transduction Therapy Nanoparticle-based Drug Delivery Systems for Targeted Epigenetics Cancer Therapy
Current Drug Targets The Roles of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in the Pathophysiological Development of Cartilage and Chondrocytes
Current Pharmaceutical Design Ewing’s Sarcoma Cancer Stem Cell Targeted Therapy
Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy Targeting CSC-Related miRNAs for Cancer Therapy by Natural Agents
Current Drug Targets Irreversible LSD1 Inhibitors: Application of Tranylcypromine and Its Derivatives in Cancer Treatment
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry