Dormant cancer cells: programmed quiescence, senescence, or both?
Kevin Truskowski1,2,3, Sarah R Amend4,5,6, Kenneth J Pienta4,5,6
1Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, USA. ktrusko1@jhmi.edu.
Cancer Metastasis Reviews
|January 4, 2023
Summary
Cancer cells can enter a dormant state, causing delayed metastatic relapse years later. Understanding cellular senescence and quiescence may unlock strategies to target these elusive dormant cancer cells.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Metastasis drives cancer mortality, with many patients experiencing relapse years after primary treatment.
- Disseminated cancer cells can enter a dormant state in secondary tissues, leading to delayed, lethal relapses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the biology of cancer cell dormancy.
- To investigate the roles of cellular senescence and quiescence in dormant cancer cells and metastatic relapse.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on cancer cell dormancy, senescence, and quiescence.
- Analysis of shared and unique characteristics of these non-proliferative states.
Main Results:
- Cancer cell dormancy is poorly understood due to challenges in studying these cells.
- Senescence and quiescence are key proliferative arrest programs relevant to cancer dormancy.
- These states share characteristics and likely contribute to delayed metastatic relapse.
Conclusions:
- Understanding senescence and quiescence is critical for studying dormant cancer cells.
- Targeting the molecular programs of dormant cancer cells may offer new therapeutic strategies.
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