What makes leader cells arise: Intrinsic properties and support from neighboring cells
Bing-Jun Chen1, Jia-Shun Wu1, Ya-Jie Tang2
1State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Abstract:
Cancer cells collectively invading as a cohesive and polarized group is termed collective invasion, which is a fundamental property of many types of cancers. In this multicellular unit, cancer cells are heterogeneous, consisting of two morphologically and functionally distinct subpopulations, leader cells and follower cells. Leader cells at the invasive front are responsible for exploring the microenvironment, paving the way, and transmitting information to follower cells. Here, in this review, we will describe the important role of leader cells in collective invasion and the emerging underlying mechanisms of leader cell formation including intrinsic properties and the support from neighboring cells. It will help us to elucidate the essence of collective invasion and provide new anticancer therapeutic clues.
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