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The following is a summary of “Towards understanding cancer dormancy over strategic hitching up mechanisms to technologies,” published in the February 2025 issue of Molecular Cancer by Yang et al.
Investigating cancer dormancy is a crucial endeavor, as dormant cancer cells can drive lethal recurrence long after the primary tumor has been eradicated. These quiescent cells, capable of surviving in a silent state for variable periods, may undergo genetic or epigenetic modifications and eventually reawaken under specific contextual cues, leading to disease relapse. Dormancy can be induced by various factors, including cancer therapies, and follows a complex life cycle encompassing dissemination, invasion, intravasation, circulation, immune evasion, extravasation, and eventual colonization. The fate of dormant cancer cells is intricately regulated by cellular mechanisms, primarily governed by gene expression and epigenetic modifications.
Despite its critical role in cancer progression and treatment resistance, a comprehensive understanding of cancer dormancy remains elusive due to its highly dynamic and heterogeneous nature. Recent advancements in genomic technologies, particularly single-cell and long-read sequencing, combined with sophisticated analytical methodologies and artificial intelligence-driven approaches, hold the potential to revolutionize the understanding of cancer dormancy. These cutting-edge tools offer unprecedented resolution in dissecting the molecular and cellular heterogeneity underlying dormancy, enabling the identification of key regulatory networks and potential therapeutic targets. By integrating these technologies, researchers can develop a more holistic perspective on the mechanisms that sustain dormancy and drive eventual reactivation, paving the way for novel intervention strategies to prevent cancer recurrence and improve long-term patient outcomes.
Source: molecular-cancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12943-025-02250-9
