Abstract
Cancer patients, though frequently entering complete remission after successful surgery, and/or irradiation, and chemotherapy years or even decades later may exhibit overt metastases and aggressive, mostly fatal recurrence on the basis of clinically silent persistence of disseminated tumor cells. Cellular dormancy is a mode of hibernation/ inactivity caused by a temporary mitotic arrest. It represents the critical phenomenon of latency making metastatic cancer cells highly refractory to conventional therapies. Regarding host-tumor interactions a broad range of dynamic, interrelated molecular events may influence the dormancy state of quiescence, like regulators of cell cycle arrest, stress signaling pathways, autophagy, microenvironmental, angiogenic and immunologic factors, genetic and epigenetic effects. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Moreover, a distinct subset of circulating and disseminated cancer cells exhibits stem cell-like properties with direct tumor-provoking and metastatis-initiating capacity, being at least partly responsible for the specific dormancy features. In residual disease a future more detailed molecular and phenotypic characterization of disseminated tumor cells could represent the prerequisite not only for prognostic and staging purposes, but for a specific design of therapeutic targeting, as well. By understanding the elusive dormancy signatures of tumor cells, their cell- and context (microenvironment)-dependent modulation should provide novel potential therapeutic approaches to avoid or overcome metastatic cancer relapse.
Keywords: Cancer dormancy, metastasis, stress signals, cell adaptation, quiescence, autophagy, microenvironment, stem cell.
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Title:Metastatic Cell Dormancy and Re-activation: An Overview on Series of Molecular Events Critical for Cancer Relapse
Volume: 17 Issue: 4
Author(s): Gyorgyi Muzes*Ferenc Sipos
Affiliation:
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, H-1088 Budapest, Szentkirályi str. 46.,Hungary
Keywords: Cancer dormancy, metastasis, stress signals, cell adaptation, quiescence, autophagy, microenvironment, stem cell.
Abstract: Cancer patients, though frequently entering complete remission after successful surgery, and/or irradiation, and chemotherapy years or even decades later may exhibit overt metastases and aggressive, mostly fatal recurrence on the basis of clinically silent persistence of disseminated tumor cells. Cellular dormancy is a mode of hibernation/ inactivity caused by a temporary mitotic arrest. It represents the critical phenomenon of latency making metastatic cancer cells highly refractory to conventional therapies. Regarding host-tumor interactions a broad range of dynamic, interrelated molecular events may influence the dormancy state of quiescence, like regulators of cell cycle arrest, stress signaling pathways, autophagy, microenvironmental, angiogenic and immunologic factors, genetic and epigenetic effects. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Moreover, a distinct subset of circulating and disseminated cancer cells exhibits stem cell-like properties with direct tumor-provoking and metastatis-initiating capacity, being at least partly responsible for the specific dormancy features. In residual disease a future more detailed molecular and phenotypic characterization of disseminated tumor cells could represent the prerequisite not only for prognostic and staging purposes, but for a specific design of therapeutic targeting, as well. By understanding the elusive dormancy signatures of tumor cells, their cell- and context (microenvironment)-dependent modulation should provide novel potential therapeutic approaches to avoid or overcome metastatic cancer relapse.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Muzes Gyorgyi*, Sipos Ferenc, Metastatic Cell Dormancy and Re-activation: An Overview on Series of Molecular Events Critical for Cancer Relapse, Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 2017; 17 (4) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871520616666160901145857
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871520616666160901145857 |
Print ISSN 1871-5206 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5992 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Induction of cell death in cancer cells by modulating telomerase activity using small molecule drugs
Telomeres are distinctive but short stretches present at the corners of chromosomes and aid in stabilizing chromosomal makeup. Resynthesis of telomeres supported by the activity of reverse transcriptase ribonucleoprotein complex telomerase. There is no any telomerase activity in human somatic cells, but the stem cells and germ cells undergone telomerase ...read more
Role of natural compounds as anti anti-cancer agents
Cancer is considered the leading cause of worldwide mortality, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2022. Cancer outcome can be improved through an appropriate screening and early detection and through an efficient clinical treatment. Chemotherapy remains an important approach in treatment o f several types of cancers, even though ...read more
Signaling and enzymatic modulators in cancer treatment
Cancer accounts for nearly 10 million deaths in 2022 and is considered the leading cause of worldwide mortality. Cancer outcome can be improved through an appropriate screening and early detection and through an efficient clinical treatment. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are the most important approach for the treatment of several ...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
Related Articles
-
Role of Membrane Transporters and Metabolizing Enzymes in Ocular Drug Delivery
Current Drug Metabolism Genomic and Pharmacogenomic Biomarkers of Parkinson’s Disease
Current Drug Metabolism Estrogen-Induced Genetic Alterations and Their Role in Carcinogenicity
Current Genomics The Role of Chronic Periodontitis in Prevention and Treatment of Head and Neck Cancers
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews Protocatechuic Acid and Human Disease Prevention: Biological Activities and Molecular Mechanisms
Current Medicinal Chemistry Cervical Cancer and Human Papillomaviruses: Inactivation of Retinoblastoma and Other Tumor Suppressor Pathways
Current Molecular Medicine Stem Cells as Vectors to Deliver HSV/tk Gene Therapy for Malignant Gliomas
Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy ‘From Death, Lead Me to Immortality’ – Mantra of Ageing Skeletal Muscle
Current Genomics The Effects of Insulin and Insulin-Like Growth Factors on Tumor Vascularization: New Insights of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Family in Cancer
Current Medicinal Chemistry DNA Methylation, An Epigenetic Mode of Gene Expression Regulation in Reproductive Science
Current Pharmaceutical Design Gene Therapy with Transcription Factor Decoy Oligonucleotides as a Potential Treatment for Cardiovascular Diseases
Current Drug Targets Circular RNAs and Glioma: Small Molecule with Big Actions
Current Molecular Medicine Homeostasis and the Importance for a Balance Between AKT/mTOR Activity and Intracellular Signaling
Current Medicinal Chemistry Global Gene Expression in Classification, Pathogenetic Understanding and Identification of Therapeutic Targets in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Vitamin D Receptor is a Novel Drug Target for Ovarian Cancer Treatment
Current Cancer Drug Targets An Update on the Other Telomerase Inhibitors: Non-G-Quadruplex Interactive Agent, Non-Antisense, Non-Reverse Transcriptase Telomerase Inhibitors
Medicinal Chemistry Reviews - Online (Discontinued) Drug Transporters and Multiple Drug Resistance in the Most Common Pediatric Solid Tumors
Current Drug Metabolism The Use of Vitamin D in Respiratory Diseases
Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews Regulation of Gene Expression by Progesterone in Cancer Cells: Effects on Cyclin D1, EGFR and VEGF
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Discovery of BRM Targeted Therapies: Novel Reactivation of an Anticancer Gene
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery