Subtype Transdifferentiation in Human Cancer: The Power of Tissue Plasticity in Tumor Progression
The classification of tumors into subtypes, characterized by phenotypes determined by specific differentiation pathways, aids diagnosis and directs therapy towards targeted approaches. However, with the advent and explosion of next-generation sequencing, cancer phenotypes are turning out to be far m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Cells |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/13/4/350 |
| _version_ | 1827343898506166272 |
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| author | Monica Fedele Laura Cerchia Sabrina Battista |
| author_facet | Monica Fedele Laura Cerchia Sabrina Battista |
| author_sort | Monica Fedele |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The classification of tumors into subtypes, characterized by phenotypes determined by specific differentiation pathways, aids diagnosis and directs therapy towards targeted approaches. However, with the advent and explosion of next-generation sequencing, cancer phenotypes are turning out to be far more heterogenous than initially thought, and the classification is continually being updated to include more subtypes. Tumors are indeed highly dynamic, and they can evolve and undergo various changes in their characteristics during disease progression. The picture becomes even more complex when the tumor responds to a therapy. In all these cases, cancer cells acquire the ability to transdifferentiate, changing subtype, and adapt to changing microenvironments. These modifications affect the tumor’s growth rate, invasiveness, response to treatment, and overall clinical behavior. Studying tumor subtype transitions is crucial for understanding tumor evolution, predicting disease outcomes, and developing personalized treatment strategies. We discuss this emerging hallmark of cancer and the molecular mechanisms involved at the crossroads between tumor cells and their microenvironment, focusing on four different human cancers in which tissue plasticity causes a subtype switch: breast cancer, prostate cancer, glioblastoma, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:38:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e81a1b0427c14dc1a7e5ae9df8a6e07a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:38:11Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj.art-e81a1b0427c14dc1a7e5ae9df8a6e07a2024-02-23T15:11:58ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092024-02-0113435010.3390/cells13040350Subtype Transdifferentiation in Human Cancer: The Power of Tissue Plasticity in Tumor ProgressionMonica Fedele0Laura Cerchia1Sabrina Battista2Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology “G. Salvatore” (IEOS), National Research Council—CNR, 80131 Naples, ItalyInstitute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology “G. Salvatore” (IEOS), National Research Council—CNR, 80131 Naples, ItalyInstitute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology “G. Salvatore” (IEOS), National Research Council—CNR, 80131 Naples, ItalyThe classification of tumors into subtypes, characterized by phenotypes determined by specific differentiation pathways, aids diagnosis and directs therapy towards targeted approaches. However, with the advent and explosion of next-generation sequencing, cancer phenotypes are turning out to be far more heterogenous than initially thought, and the classification is continually being updated to include more subtypes. Tumors are indeed highly dynamic, and they can evolve and undergo various changes in their characteristics during disease progression. The picture becomes even more complex when the tumor responds to a therapy. In all these cases, cancer cells acquire the ability to transdifferentiate, changing subtype, and adapt to changing microenvironments. These modifications affect the tumor’s growth rate, invasiveness, response to treatment, and overall clinical behavior. Studying tumor subtype transitions is crucial for understanding tumor evolution, predicting disease outcomes, and developing personalized treatment strategies. We discuss this emerging hallmark of cancer and the molecular mechanisms involved at the crossroads between tumor cells and their microenvironment, focusing on four different human cancers in which tissue plasticity causes a subtype switch: breast cancer, prostate cancer, glioblastoma, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/13/4/350luminal to basal-like transitionneuroendocrine differentiationproneural to mesenchymal transitiontissue transdifferentiationbreast cancerprostate cancer |
| spellingShingle | Monica Fedele Laura Cerchia Sabrina Battista Subtype Transdifferentiation in Human Cancer: The Power of Tissue Plasticity in Tumor Progression Cells luminal to basal-like transition neuroendocrine differentiation proneural to mesenchymal transition tissue transdifferentiation breast cancer prostate cancer |
| title | Subtype Transdifferentiation in Human Cancer: The Power of Tissue Plasticity in Tumor Progression |
| title_full | Subtype Transdifferentiation in Human Cancer: The Power of Tissue Plasticity in Tumor Progression |
| title_fullStr | Subtype Transdifferentiation in Human Cancer: The Power of Tissue Plasticity in Tumor Progression |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subtype Transdifferentiation in Human Cancer: The Power of Tissue Plasticity in Tumor Progression |
| title_short | Subtype Transdifferentiation in Human Cancer: The Power of Tissue Plasticity in Tumor Progression |
| title_sort | subtype transdifferentiation in human cancer the power of tissue plasticity in tumor progression |
| topic | luminal to basal-like transition neuroendocrine differentiation proneural to mesenchymal transition tissue transdifferentiation breast cancer prostate cancer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/13/4/350 |
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