title: Cancer as a reprogramming-like disease: implications in tumor development and treatment.
abstract: Cancer is a clonal malignant disease originated in a single cell and characterized by the accumulation of partially differentiated cells that are phenotypically reminiscent of normal stages of differentiation. Given the fact that human cancer is diagnosed at later stages and cannot be monitored during its natural evolution, the origin of tumors has been a subject of continuing discussion. Animal models provide a means to determine the identity of the cell-of-origin leading to malignancy and to develop new treatments. Recent findings in mice have shown that cancer stem cells could arise through a reprogramming-like mechanism, suggesting that genetic lesions that initiate the cancer process might be dispensable for tumor progression and maintenance. This review addresses the impact of these results toward a better understanding of carcinogenesis and proposes research avenues for tackling these issues in the future.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Campus M. Unamuno s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castellanos
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vicente-Dueñas
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Campos-Sánchez
authors.forename: Juan Jesús
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: García-Criado
authors.forename: María Begoña
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: García-Cenador
authors.forename: Pedro A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lazo
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-Losada
authors.forename: Isidro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sánchez-García
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*