Emerging Insights into Targeted Therapy-Tolerant Persister Cells in Cancer
Drug resistance is perhaps the greatest challenge in improving outcomes for cancer patients undergoing treatment with targeted therapies. It is becoming clear that “persisters,” a subpopulation of drug-tolerant cells found in cancer populations, play a critical role in the development of drug resist...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Cancers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/11/2666 |
| _version_ | 1797532243457998848 |
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| author | Heidie Frisco Cabanos Aaron N. Hata |
| author_facet | Heidie Frisco Cabanos Aaron N. Hata |
| author_sort | Heidie Frisco Cabanos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Drug resistance is perhaps the greatest challenge in improving outcomes for cancer patients undergoing treatment with targeted therapies. It is becoming clear that “persisters,” a subpopulation of drug-tolerant cells found in cancer populations, play a critical role in the development of drug resistance. Persisters are able to maintain viability under therapy but are typically slow cycling or dormant. These cells do not harbor classic drug resistance driver alterations, and their partial resistance phenotype is transient and reversible upon removal of the drug. In the clinic, the persister state most closely corresponds to minimal residual disease from which relapse can occur if treatment is discontinued or if acquired drug resistance develops in response to continuous therapy. Thus, eliminating persister cells will be crucial to improve outcomes for cancer patients. Using lung cancer targeted therapies as a primary paradigm, this review will give an overview of the characteristics of drug-tolerant persister cells, mechanisms associated with drug tolerance, and potential therapeutic opportunities to target this persister cell population in tumors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:56:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28887b2a841f4709afb380bf2ae6eafb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6694 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:56:19Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cancers |
| spelling | doaj.art-28887b2a841f4709afb380bf2ae6eafb2023-11-21T21:50:26ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942021-05-011311266610.3390/cancers13112666Emerging Insights into Targeted Therapy-Tolerant Persister Cells in CancerHeidie Frisco Cabanos0Aaron N. Hata1Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USAMassachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USADrug resistance is perhaps the greatest challenge in improving outcomes for cancer patients undergoing treatment with targeted therapies. It is becoming clear that “persisters,” a subpopulation of drug-tolerant cells found in cancer populations, play a critical role in the development of drug resistance. Persisters are able to maintain viability under therapy but are typically slow cycling or dormant. These cells do not harbor classic drug resistance driver alterations, and their partial resistance phenotype is transient and reversible upon removal of the drug. In the clinic, the persister state most closely corresponds to minimal residual disease from which relapse can occur if treatment is discontinued or if acquired drug resistance develops in response to continuous therapy. Thus, eliminating persister cells will be crucial to improve outcomes for cancer patients. Using lung cancer targeted therapies as a primary paradigm, this review will give an overview of the characteristics of drug-tolerant persister cells, mechanisms associated with drug tolerance, and potential therapeutic opportunities to target this persister cell population in tumors.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/11/2666drug-tolerant persisterstargeted therapyacquired drug resistance |
| spellingShingle | Heidie Frisco Cabanos Aaron N. Hata Emerging Insights into Targeted Therapy-Tolerant Persister Cells in Cancer Cancers drug-tolerant persisters targeted therapy acquired drug resistance |
| title | Emerging Insights into Targeted Therapy-Tolerant Persister Cells in Cancer |
| title_full | Emerging Insights into Targeted Therapy-Tolerant Persister Cells in Cancer |
| title_fullStr | Emerging Insights into Targeted Therapy-Tolerant Persister Cells in Cancer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emerging Insights into Targeted Therapy-Tolerant Persister Cells in Cancer |
| title_short | Emerging Insights into Targeted Therapy-Tolerant Persister Cells in Cancer |
| title_sort | emerging insights into targeted therapy tolerant persister cells in cancer |
| topic | drug-tolerant persisters targeted therapy acquired drug resistance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/11/2666 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT heidiefriscocabanos emerginginsightsintotargetedtherapytolerantpersistercellsincancer AT aaronnhata emerginginsightsintotargetedtherapytolerantpersistercellsincancer |