Mechanisms of disseminated cancer cell dormancy: an awakening field

MS Sosa, P Bragado, JA Aguirre-Ghiso - Nature Reviews Cancer, 2014 - nature.com
Nature Reviews Cancer, 2014nature.com
Metastases arise from residual disseminated tumour cells (DTCs). This can happen years
after primary tumour treatment because residual tumour cells can enter dormancy and
evade therapies. As the biology of minimal residual disease seems to diverge from that of
proliferative lesions, understanding the underpinnings of this new cancer biology is key to
prevent metastasis. Analysis of approximately 7 years of literature reveals a growing focus
on tumour and normal stem cell quiescence, extracellular and stromal microenvironments …
Abstract
Metastases arise from residual disseminated tumour cells (DTCs). This can happen years after primary tumour treatment because residual tumour cells can enter dormancy and evade therapies. As the biology of minimal residual disease seems to diverge from that of proliferative lesions, understanding the underpinnings of this new cancer biology is key to prevent metastasis. Analysis of approximately 7 years of literature reveals a growing focus on tumour and normal stem cell quiescence, extracellular and stromal microenvironments, autophagy and epigenetics as mechanisms that dictate tumour cell dormancy. In this Review, we attempt to integrate this information and highlight both the weaknesses and the strengths in the field to provide a framework to understand and target this crucial step in cancer progression.
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