Cancer Cell Plasticity
Cancer Cell Plasticity - Related Videos
10:12
Extraction of Organochlorine Pesticides from Plastic Pellets and Plastic Type Analysis
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Cited by 10 •
2017
Microplastics act as vector of potentially toxic organic contaminants with unpredictable effects. This protocol describes an alternative methodology for assessing the levels of organochlorine pesticides adsorbed on plastic pellets and identifying the polymer chemical structure. The focus is on pressurized fluid extraction and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
07:16
Isolation of Cancer Stem Cells From Human Prostate Cancer Samples
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Cited by 6 •
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The isolation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) directly from human tissues is requisite for their biological characterization. This manuscript describes a methodology for the isolation of prostate CSCs from human tissues, while also providing tips on troubleshooting difficult steps.
00:58
Plasticity
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2023
Plasticity is the property where an object loses its elasticity and undergoes irreversible deformation, even after the deformation forces are eliminated. If a material deforms irreversibly without increasing stress or load, then this is called ideal plasticity. For example, when a force is applied to an aluminum rod, it changes its shape, but it does not return to its original shape once the force is removed. Plastic deformation or ductility is thus a permanent deformation or change in the...
01:31
Plasticizers
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2024
Water-reducers, or plasticizers, are chemical admixtures used in concrete to improve strength and workability. These additives reduce the water-cement ratio without compromising workability, lower the cement content while maintaining the same workability, or increase workability to assist concrete placement in inaccessible areas. Plasticizers function by using surface-active agents to create repulsive electrostatic forces between cement particles. This dispersion enhances the concrete's...
07:29
Studying Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics for Developing New Treatment Strategies
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Cited by 27 •
2015
Pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) can be expanded in vitro using the anchorage-independent sphere culture technique, which represents a powerful tool to study CSC biology and can serve as the first step to develop novel CSC-targeting therapies. Here the methodology for expanding, analyzing and targeting of pancreatic CSCs is provided.
FAQs
It operates through changes in gene regulation that alter which cellular programs are active. Genetic influences can initiate or shape these changes, while epigenetic regulation can help maintain a new phenotype after the original stimulus changes. Some transitions remain reversible, whereas others become stabilized, allowing malignant cells to persist in altered functional states without necessarily gaining additional mutations.
Signals from the tumor environment can push cells toward different behaviors. Stromal-cell interactions, immune signals, and changes in nutrient or oxygen conditions may influence whether cells occupy proliferative, invasive, stem-like, or therapy-tolerant states. This environmental responsiveness helps explain why neighboring malignant cells can behave differently and why tumor behavior may change as local conditions evolve.
Unlike a model in which treatment resistance depends only on newly acquired mutations, plasticity permits cells to tolerate therapy through altered states that may be reversible or stabilized. This distinction matters because a resistant population may not be defined solely by a new genetic change. State flexibility therefore broadens how researchers interpret treatment failure and recurrence.
Transitions among proliferative, invasive, stem-like, and therapy-tolerant states connect cellular flexibility with several stages of disease progression. An invasive state can support metastatic behavior, while therapy-tolerant states can survive treatment and contribute to recurrence. The same tumor may therefore contain cells with different functional priorities, complicating attempts to control disease through a single cellular target.
A useful comparison should consider phenotype, behavior, gene regulation, and the conditions surrounding the cells. Researchers can relate shifts in proliferation, invasion, stem-like features, or therapy tolerance to genetic and epigenetic influences, as well as stromal, immune, nutrient, and oxygen signals. Examining these variables together helps distinguish state changes from a static description of the tumor.
Biomarkers can be designed to identify cellular states associated with invasion, stem-like behavior, treatment tolerance, or recurrence. Because plasticity can involve reversible and stabilized regulatory changes, useful markers may need to reflect state and context rather than only fixed genetic features. Such information could help reveal resistant cell populations and clarify which tumors require closer monitoring or altered treatment strategies.
Research supports two complementary strategies: prevent malignant cells from shifting into harmful states, or target populations that have already become therapy tolerant. The first approach focuses on blocking state changes, while the second addresses resistant cells directly. Together, these strategies respond to adaptation as a treatment problem and may help limit resistance and tumor recurrence.