Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

5.7K
Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
5.7K
Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

6.2K
Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
6.2K
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia01:35

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia

2.3K
Invadosome is a broad category of cell surface structures with proteolytic activity that  degrades the extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadosomes are present in normal cell types, including macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, as well as tumor cells. Although the macrophage podosomes and tumor cell invadopodia are classified as invadosomes, they have different structures, molecular pathways, and functions. Podosomes are short structures that last for a few minutes. However,...
2.3K
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

6.1K
Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
6.1K
Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

5.5K
Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
5.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Ketogenic diet mediates intestinal tumorigenesis through lipids not ketones.

Nature·2026
Same author

Aristolochic acid and the risk of female lung cancer: Population-based case-control study in Taiwan.

Cancer epidemiology·2026
Same author

A Comparative Study of Rapid Fresh Pathology Imaging and Standard FFPE H&E Histopathology: A High Concordance in the Evaluation of Lung and Breast Cancer.

Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Nociceptive innervation limits tertiary lymphoid structures to promote lung cancer.

Cell·2026
Same author

Murine osteosarcoma recapitulates the driver landscape and genomic complexity of osteosarcoma evolution in humans.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

The FAM53C/DYRK1A axis regulates the G1/S transition of the cell cycle.

eLife·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2025

Electrotaxis Studies of Lung Cancer Cells using a Multichannel Dual-electric-field Microfluidic Chip
08:35

Electrotaxis Studies of Lung Cancer Cells using a Multichannel Dual-electric-field Microfluidic Chip

Published on: December 29, 2015

8.7K

Intrinsic electrical activity drives small-cell lung cancer progression.

Paola Peinado1, Marco Stazi1, Claudio Ballabio1

  • 1Cancer Neuroscience Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.

Nature
|February 12, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Neuroendocrine (NE) cells in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) are electrically excitable, driving tumor malignancy and metastasis. These NE cells uniquely depend on oxidative phosphorylation, supported by non-NE cells, creating a self-sustaining tumor cycle.

More Related Videos

A Real-time Electrical Impedance Based Technique to Measure Invasion of Endothelial Cell Monolayer by Cancer Cells
08:51

A Real-time Electrical Impedance Based Technique to Measure Invasion of Endothelial Cell Monolayer by Cancer Cells

Published on: April 1, 2011

27.3K
Multidimensional Coculture System to Model Lung Squamous Carcinoma Progression
07:53

Multidimensional Coculture System to Model Lung Squamous Carcinoma Progression

Published on: March 17, 2020

7.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2025

Electrotaxis Studies of Lung Cancer Cells using a Multichannel Dual-electric-field Microfluidic Chip
08:35

Electrotaxis Studies of Lung Cancer Cells using a Multichannel Dual-electric-field Microfluidic Chip

Published on: December 29, 2015

8.7K
A Real-time Electrical Impedance Based Technique to Measure Invasion of Endothelial Cell Monolayer by Cancer Cells
08:51

A Real-time Electrical Impedance Based Technique to Measure Invasion of Endothelial Cell Monolayer by Cancer Cells

Published on: April 1, 2011

27.3K
Multidimensional Coculture System to Model Lung Squamous Carcinoma Progression
07:53

Multidimensional Coculture System to Model Lung Squamous Carcinoma Progression

Published on: March 17, 2020

7.1K

Area of Science:

  • Cancer Biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Metabolic Regulation

Background:

  • Neuronal receptors and neuroendocrine (NE) transformation are linked to cancer progression.
  • Electrical excitability, a key neuronal feature, is largely unexplored in cancer cells.
  • Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive NE cancer with distinct NE and non-NE cell subpopulations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and role of electrical excitability in SCLC.
  • To understand the metabolic interplay between NE and non-NE cells in SCLC.
  • To explore the relationship between SCLC progression, innervation, and neuronal features.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological recordings to assess NE cell excitability.
  • Metabolic assays to determine energy dependencies (oxidative phosphorylation vs. glycolysis).
  • Analysis of tumor innervation and SCLC cell neuronal markers during progression.

Main Results:

  • NE cells, but not non-NE cells, exhibit electrical excitability and action potential firing, promoting SCLC malignancy.
  • NE cells display an unusual reliance on oxidative phosphorylation, contrasting with typical cancer cell glycolysis.
  • Non-NE cells provide metabolic support to NE cells, resembling astrocyte-neuron interactions.
  • SCLC progression involves altered innervation, increased intratumoral heterogeneity, and enhanced neuronal features in cancer cells.

Conclusions:

  • Cancer cell-intrinsic electrical activity drives SCLC malignancy and metastatic potential.
  • A tumor-autonomous vicious cycle, fueled by electrical activity and metabolic support, promotes long-term tumorigenesis.
  • Targeting electrical excitability or metabolic dependencies may offer novel therapeutic strategies for SCLC.