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Cell-in-cell phenomena in cancer.
Stefano Fais1, Michael Overholtzer2
1Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy. stefano.fais@iss.it.
Nature Reviews. Cancer
|November 14, 2018
Summary
Cancer cells form cell-in-cell structures through cannibalism and entosis, indicating poor prognosis. This process, driven by metabolic stress, fuels aggressive cancer cell growth and progression.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cell-in-cell structures are prevalent in various cancers.
- Their presence correlates with poor patient prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the regulation of cell cannibalism and entosis.
- To elucidate how these processes contribute to cancer progression.
Main Methods:
- Review of mechanistic studies on cell-in-cell formation.
- Analysis of regulatory pathways involved in cancer cell ingestion.
Main Results:
- Cancer cells ingest neighboring cells via cannibalism and entosis.
- These processes are linked to metabolic stress and cancer aggressiveness.
Conclusions:
- Cannibalistic activity is a cancer hallmark driven by metabolic stress.
- Cell-in-cell formation fuels aggressive cancer cell phenotypes.
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