Translational cancer biology
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(2020) 18:364 Maccalli J Transl Med https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-020-02537-z
Open Access
EDITORIAL
Translational cancer biology Cristina Maccalli*
We are excited to announce the launch of a new section in the Journal of Translational Medicine entitled “Translational Cancer Biology”. This section aims to provide a platform for the communication and dissemination of advances in cancer biology and their translational applications. Studies considered for publication include those dissecting the mechanisms of transformation, progression and metastatization, the biology of cancer stem cells and their immunological properties, the mechanisms undergoing the epithelial-to mesenchymal (EMT) transition and tumor dormancy, their relationship with immune functions and the mechanisms undergoing cancer resistance to therapies. This section is also dedicated to those investigations dedicated to the translational aspects and the development of novel therapies related to the aforementioned themes and the identification of patient’s responsiveness and outcome to therapies. Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the western world. The progress in understanding the oncogenic and pro-survival pathways as well as the immunological profile of cancer cells allowed to design novel targeted therapies and immunotherapy, leading to the improvement of the overall survival of cancer patients. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of cancer patients are unresponsive or develop resistance to therapies. Advances in genome sequencing allowed to show that tumor lesions results from heterogeneous mixture of genetically distinct subclones that arise through tumor evolution [1–3]. The unique driver mutations within each subclone can impact the cancer hallmarks differently, thereby contributing to functional heterogeneity. In addition, a variety of DNA mutations arise at different stage and dynamically along with tumor
*Correspondence: [email protected] Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
development and progression [4, 5]. These genetic variants together with epigenetic modifications drive the development of hierarchically organized neoplastic tissues comprising subpopulations of self-renewing cells with “stemness” properties that allow the long term maintenance of tumors. The evidence that rare cells within tumor lesions, cancer stem cells/cancer initiating cells (CSCs/CICs), represent a key component of tumor initiation and propagation was obtained initially in hematological malignancies [6, 7] and subsequently in solid tumors with different histological origins [8–11]. CSCs/CICs are endowed with the ability to modulate their proliferative status from quiescent to slow or fast cycling [12, 13] and with the resistance to therapeutic treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy [14–20]. These cells can survive and initiate the formation of local recurrence, and through migrating at distant site, of metastases, even many years after the initial clinical response to the treatments [19, 21–24]. One of the major factor
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