Tumor dormancy: EMT beyond invasion and metastasis

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cell Biology
• Cancer Metastasis Research

Background:

• Metastasis accounts for over two-thirds of cancer deaths.
• Late recurrence, occurring years after primary tumor treatment, is linked to dormant disseminated tumor cells (DTCs).
• Dormancy, a state of reduced proliferation in DTCs, is challenging to study clinically and experimentally.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer cell dormancy.
• To explore the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in regulating DTC dormancy and plasticity.
• To emphasize the importance of pre-clinical models and tumor context in dormancy research.

Main Methods:

• Review of current scientific literature on cancer cell dormancy and metastasis.
• Analysis of findings from pre-clinical cancer models.
• Discussion of technological advancements aiding dormancy research.

Main Results:

• Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has emerged as a critical factor in inducing plasticity and maintaining dormancy in DTCs.
• Recent technological and modeling advances are providing new insights into dormancy regulation.
• Understanding the interplay between EMT and dormancy is crucial for therapeutic development.

Conclusions:

• Dormant DTCs are central to late cancer recurrence.
• EMT is a key regulator of dormancy, influencing the switch between dormant and proliferative states.
• Targeting the mechanisms that maintain dormancy, particularly EMT-driven plasticity, holds promise for preventing distant cancer recurrence.