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Tumor Cell Dormancy—a Hallmark of Metastatic Growth and Disease Recurrence in Bone

  • Molecular Biology of Bone Metastasis (H Taipaleenmäki, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Dormant disseminated tumor cells are thought to play a pivotal role in driving tumor growth in bone and are likely responsible for disease recurrence following chemotherapy; however, the mechanisms regulating these processes remain unclear. Herein, we discuss recent advances controlling the mechanisms of tumor cell dormancy in bone and discuss the clinical implications of these findings.

Recent Findings

Recent studies have defined gene expression signatures for dormant tumor cells in bone, identifying novel pathways that we can potentially exploit to target these cells. Using intravital imaging and cell fate tracking, bone cells within the bone microenvironment have been shown to play a critical role in regulating tumor cell dormancy and growth, highlighting local bone cell activity as a novel avenue to control tumor cell growth and a role for bone cell niches in supporting dormancy and treatment resistance.

Summary

Due to advances in pre-clinical imaging and sequencing tools, we have a greater understanding of the phenomenon of tumor cell dormancy in bone, ultimately opening avenues for novel targeted treatments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia

    Nancy Haydar & Michelle M. McDonald

  2. University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    Nancy Haydar & Michelle M. McDonald

  3. Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia

    Nancy Haydar

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Molecular Biology of Bone Metastasis

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Haydar, N., McDonald, M.M. Tumor Cell Dormancy—a Hallmark of Metastatic Growth and Disease Recurrence in Bone. Curr Mol Bio Rep 4, 50–58 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40610-018-0088-8

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