Towards a Framework for Better Understanding of Quiescent Cancer Cells
Wan Najbah Nik Nabil,
Zhichao Xi,
Zejia Song,
Lei Jin,
Xu Dong Zhang,
Hua Zhou,
Paul De Souza,
Qihan Dong,
Hongxi Xu
Affiliations
Wan Najbah Nik Nabil
School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
Zhichao Xi
School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
Zejia Song
School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
Lei Jin
School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
Xu Dong Zhang
School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
Hua Zhou
Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
Paul De Souza
School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2751, Australia
Qihan Dong
Chinese Medicine Anti-Cancer Evaluation Program, Greg Brown Laboratory, Central Clinical School and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Hongxi Xu
Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
Quiescent cancer cells (QCCs) are cancer cells that are reversibly suspended in G0 phase with the ability to re-enter the cell cycle and initiate tumor growth, and, ultimately, cancer recurrence and metastasis. QCCs are also therapeutically challenging due to their resistance to most conventional cancer treatments that selectively act on proliferating cells. Considering the significant impact of QCCs on cancer progression and treatment, better understanding of appropriate experimental models, and the evaluation of QCCs are key questions in the field that have direct influence on potential pharmacological interventions. Here, this review focuses on existing and emerging preclinical models and detection methods for QCCs and discusses their respective features and scope for application. By providing a framework for selecting appropriate experimental models and investigative methods, the identification of the key players that regulate the survival and activation of QCCs and the development of more effective QCC-targeting therapeutic agents may mitigate the consequences of QCCs.
