Hanan Bloomer, Haley B Dame, Savannah R Parker, Madeleine J Oudin
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Cellular plasticity and the ability to avoid terminal differentiation are hallmarks of cancer. Here, we review the evidence that tumor cells themselves can take on properties of neurons of the central nervous system, which can regulate tumor growth and metastasis. We discuss recent evidence that axon guidance molecules and regulators of electrical activity and synaptic transmission, such as ion channels and neurotransmitters, can drive the oncogenic and invasive properties of tumor cells from a range of cancers. We also review how FDA-approved treatments for neurological disorders are being tested in pre-clinical models and clinical trials for repurposing as anti-cancer agents, offering the potential for new therapies for cancer patients that can be accessed more quickly.
期刊介绍:
Contemporary biomedical research is on the threshold of an era in which physiological and pathological processes can be analyzed in increasingly precise and mechanistic terms.The transformation of biology from a largely descriptive, phenomenological discipline to one in which the regulatory principles can be understood and manipulated with predictability brings a new dimension to the study of cancer and the search for effective therapeutic modalities for this disease. Cancer and Metastasis Reviews provides a forum for critical review and discussion of these challenging developments.
A major function of the journal is to review some of the more important and interesting recent developments in the biology and treatment of malignant disease, as well as to highlight new and promising directions, be they technological or conceptual. Contributors are encouraged to review their personal work and be speculative.