Intra-tumor heterogeneity of cancer cells and its implications for cancer treatment

Recent studies have revealed extensive genetic and non-genetic variation across different geographical regions of a tumor or throughout different stages of tumor progression, which is referred to as intra-tumor heterogeneity. Several causes contribute to this phenomenon, including genomic instabilit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta pharmacologica Sinica 2015-10, Vol.36 (10), p.1219-1227
Main Authors: Sun, Xiao-xiao, Yu, Qiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
Genomic Instability
Humans
Immunology
Internal Medicine
Medical Microbiology
Mutation
Neoplasms - genetics
Neoplasms - metabolism
Neoplasms - pathology
Neoplasms - therapy
Pharmacology/Toxicology
Protein Processing, Post-Translational
Review
Signal Transduction
Vaccine
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Summary:Recent studies have revealed extensive genetic and non-genetic variation across different geographical regions of a tumor or throughout different stages of tumor progression, which is referred to as intra-tumor heterogeneity. Several causes contribute to this phenomenon, including genomic instability, epigenetic alteration, plastic gene expression, signal transduction, and microenvironmental differences. These variables may affect key signaling pathways that regulate cancer cell growth, drive phenotypic diversity, and pose challenges to cancer treatment. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this heterogeneity will support the development of effective therapeutic strategies.
ISSN:1671-4083
1745-7254
DOI:10.1038/aps.2015.92