About this Research Topic
Various aspects related to carcinogenesis and cancer progression should comprehensively be investigated. It is believed that deep knowledge about malignant reprogramming can help to either prevent tumor development or to find an effective therapeutic target to combat disease progression. Since molecular and biological features of cancer cells are not similar at early and late tumor stages, different molecules and pathways should be targeted in cancer patients with early and advanced malignant disorders in order to reach a better clinical outcome.
A number of intra- and extracellular factors are already described to be implicated in cancer cell reprogramming. Among them, epigenetic factors, genetic mutations, intracellular pro-malignant, and pro-survival signaling pathways, etc. Additionally, a variety of microenvironmental factors should also be foreseen to be involved in the formation of carcinoma cells of different aggressiveness and sensitivities to currently used therapeutic approaches. Thus, hypoxia and non-malignant cells comprising the tumor (stroma cells, immune cells, etc.) could also modify the physiological and molecular properties of carcinoma cells and affect their sensitivities to treatment.
In this Research Topic, we aim to analyze and highlight the variety of factors associated with cancer cell reprogramming. It is proposed that the following aspects of the subject area will be discussed:
- Cancer cell reprogramming and cancer stem cells (CSCs);
- Tumor microenvironment and cancer cell reprogramming;
- Differentiation/dedifferentiation in CSCs;
- Therapy-induced cancer cell reprogramming;
- Alterations in molecular profiling during cancer progression and metastatic spread;
- Epigenetic factors contributing to cancer cell reprogramming;
- Regulation of immune response during cancer cell reprogramming
A number of intra- and extracellular factors are already described to be implicated in cancer cell reprogramming. Among them, epigenetic factors, genetic mutations, intracellular pro-malignant, and pro-survival signaling pathways, etc. Additionally, a variety of microenvironmental factors should also be foreseen to be involved in the formation of carcinoma cells of different aggressiveness and sensitivities to currently used therapeutic approaches. Thus, hypoxia and non-malignant cells comprising the tumor (stroma cells, immune cells, etc.) could also modify the physiological and molecular properties of carcinoma cells and affect their sensitivities to treatment.
In this Research Topic, we aim to analyze and highlight the variety of factors associated with cancer cell reprogramming. It is proposed that the following aspects of the subject area will be discussed:
- Cancer cell reprogramming and cancer stem cells (CSCs);
- Tumor microenvironment and cancer cell reprogramming;
- Differentiation/dedifferentiation in CSCs;
- Therapy-induced cancer cell reprogramming;
- Alterations in molecular profiling during cancer progression and metastatic spread;
- Epigenetic factors contributing to cancer cell reprogramming;
- Regulation of immune response during cancer cell reprogramming
Keywords: cancer cell reprogramming, cancer stem cells, microenvironmental factors, therapy response, molecular profiling
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