Cancer cell plasticity during tumor progression, metastasis and response to therapy

Blanpain and colleagues review the current knowledge on cancer cell plasticity and its impact on tumor initiation and progression, the metastatic cascade and resistance to therapy. Cell plasticity represents the ability of cells to be reprogrammed and to change their fate and identity, enabling homeostasis restoration and tissue regeneration following damage. Cell plasticity also contributes to pathological conditions, such as cancer, enabling cells to acquire new phenotypic and functional features by transiting across distinct cell states that contribute to tumor initiation, progression, metastasis and resistance to therapy. Here, we review the intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms driving cell plasticity that promote tumor growth and proliferation as well as metastasis and drug tolerance. Finally, we discuss how cell plasticity could be exploited for anti-cancer therapy.

Automated summary

Blanpain and colleagues provide an overview of cancer cell plasticity and its implications for tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. They discuss the ability of cells to be reprogrammed and change their fate, enabling tissue regeneration and contributing to pathological conditions such as cancer. The review also explores the mechanisms driving cell plasticity and how it could be harnessed for anti-cancer therapy.