AUTHOR=Roschke Anna V., Rozenblum Ester TITLE=Multi-Layered Cancer Chromosomal Instability Phenotype JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology VOLUME=3 YEAR=2013 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2013.00302 DOI=10.3389/fonc.2013.00302 ISSN=2234-943X ABSTRACT=

Whole-chromosomal instability (W-CIN) – unequal chromosome distribution during cell division – is a characteristic feature of a majority of cancer cells distinguishing them from their normal counterparts. The precise molecular mechanisms that may cause mis-segregation of chromosomes in tumor cells just recently became more evident. The consequences of W-CIN are numerous and play a critical role in carcinogenesis. W-CIN mediates evolution of cancer cell population under selective pressure and can facilitate the accumulation of genetic changes that promote malignancy. It has both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive effects, and their balance could be beneficial or detrimental for carcinogenesis. The characterization of W-CIN as a complex multi-layered adaptive phenotype highlights the intra- and extracellular adaptations to the consequences of genome reshuffling. It also provides a framework for targeting aggressive chromosomally unstable cancers.