从细胞走向恶性转化的那一刻起,它与微环境中其他细胞的相互作用发生了改变。分子信息流是肿瘤细胞和全身命运的核心,和各种过程参与从或向某些癌细胞传递关键分子信息。例如,紧密连接分子的丢失是向癌细胞发送信号的一部分,因此它们不再与原发性肿瘤结合,因此可以自由移动和转移。在治疗药物靶向单个细胞时,缝隙连接能够将死亡信息传达给备用细胞。细胞间通讯的新模式(如不同类型的细胞外囊泡或隧道纳米管)的重要性的发现正在改变科学家对这些过程的看法。然而,他们是同时积极参与不同的环境,还是被招募来完成特定的任务?模式的多样性对疾病的整体进展意味着什么?这里,我们公开邀请思考这些问题的总体意义,而不是进行难以捉摸的尝试,以系统地保留发挥作用的机制。
From the moment a cell is on the path to malignant transformation, its interaction with other cells from the microenvironment becomes altered. The flow of molecular information is at the heart of the cellular and systemic fate in tumors, and various processes participate in conveying key molecular information from or to certain cancer cells. For instance, the loss of tight junction molecules is part of the signal sent to cancer cells so that they are no longer bound to the primary tumors and are thus free to travel and metastasize. Upon the targeting of a single cell by a therapeutic drug, gap junctions are able to communicate death information to by-standing cells. The discovery of the importance of novel modes of cell-cell communication such as different types of extracellular vesicles or tunneling nanotubes is changing the way scientists look at these processes. However, are they all actively involved in different contexts at the same time or are they recruited to fulfill specific tasks? What does the multiplicity of modes mean for the overall progression of the disease? Here, we extend an open invitation to think about the overall significance of these questions, rather than engage in an elusive attempt at a systematic repertory of the mechanisms at play.