Inception of the metastatic phenotype by macrophage-cancer cell fusion.
Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Abstract: It is now well-established that patient outcome are good if the primary tumor has not\nspread; can be surgically removed; treated locally with radiation; or preventive\nchemotherapy can be applied. In contrast, when cancer cells have disseminated, the\nmortality rates increase significantly and therapeutic treatment strategies are eventually\nswitched from curative to palliative. Although responsible for the majority of cancer\ndeaths, knowledge about the emergence of metastatic cells remains scarce. Nevertheless,\nin vivo evidence in animal models and humans is accumulating and supportive of the\ncentury-old macrophage-cancer cell fusion theory. The theory implies that the metastatic\ncells emerge from a fusion event and express the phenotypes of the migratory\nmacrophage and the proliferative cancer cell. Although the theory is steadily gaining\napproval from cancer researchers, it still lacks essential attention from the broader\nresearch community. We will review the current knowledge surrounding the\nmacrophage-cancer cell fusion theory. It is our believe that work on the fusion theory and\nin the research fields related to it will enhance our understanding of metastasis, and\nultimately lead to the development of novel and effective strategies for the treatment of\nmetastatic cancers.
Author: Markus Brown
Language: English
Topic: Immune cells in cancer
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2115129371