title: The epigenetic/noncoding origin of tumor dormancy.
abstract: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been implicated as the seeds of treatment resistance and metastasis, which are the most deadly features of a neoplasm. However, an unequivocal definition of the CSC phenotype is still missing. A common feature of normal and aberrant stem cells is their ability to enter a prolonged dormant state. Cancer dormancy is a key mechanism for treatment resistance and metastasis. Here we propose a unified definition of dormancy-competent CSCs (DCCs) as the neoplastic subpopulation that can plastically alternate periods of dormancy and rapid growth. Irreversible DNA mutations can hardly account for this versatile behavior, and based on emerging evidence we propose that cancer dormancy is a nongenetic disease driven by the flexible nature of the epigenetic/noncoding interactome.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Agency Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, Canada; Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Electronic address: fcrea@bccrc.ca.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crea
authors.affiliation: Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Agency Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, Canada; Honours Biotechnology Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Nur Ridzwan
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Nur Saidy
authors.affiliation: Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Colin C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.affiliation: Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Agency Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, Canada; Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Electronic address: ywang@bccrc.ca.
authors.forename: Yuzhuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: dormancy; dormancy-competent cancer stem cells; epigenetic/noncoding interactome; metastasis; therapy resistance