Affiliations 

  • 1 School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
  • 2 School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
  • 3 School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
  • 4 Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
  • 5 School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2751, Australia
  • 6 Chinese Medicine Anti-Cancer Evaluation Program, Greg Brown Laboratory, Central Clinical School and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Cells, 2021 03 05;10(3).
PMID: 33807533 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030562

Abstract

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.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.