Abstract
In the past 15 years, invasion of nerves by cancer cells has escaped from its role as a mere bystander in cancer biology and turned into an attractive niche to study the heterotypic interaction between cancer cells and neurons. Today, neural invasion (NI) in pancreatic cancer (PCa) stands out due to the recent demonstration of its association with tumor progression, local recurrence and neuropathic pain. Accordingly, recent research on NI in PCa revealed the critical involvement of numerous nerve- or cancer cell-derived molecules in several novel in vitro and in vivo models of NI, which, however, still need further major improvement.
Highlights
In the “Synthesis” section of their monumental article from 2000 entitled “The hallmarks of cancer”, Douglas Hanahan and Robert Weinberg pointed out what may be the most important factor for the Cancers 2010, 2 correct understanding of the biology of cancer: They complained that current experimental models of cancer neglected the crucial dependence of cancer formation “upon changes in the heterotypic interactions between incipient tumor cells and their normal neighbors” [1]
In order to attain a proper quantification of its different manifestations, we introduced a novel standardized scoring system that differentiates between perineural (PNI) and endoneural invasion (ENI)
The current expectations associated with research on NI comprise discovery of novel tools to limit local tumor spread, recurrence and prevention or treatment of neuropathic pain due to NI
Summary
In the “Synthesis” section of their monumental article from 2000 entitled “The hallmarks of cancer”, Douglas Hanahan and Robert Weinberg pointed out what may be the most important factor for the Cancers 2010, 2 correct understanding of the biology of cancer: They complained that current experimental models of cancer neglected the crucial dependence of cancer formation “upon changes in the heterotypic interactions between incipient tumor cells and their normal neighbors” [1] They added that “continuing elucidation of cancer pathogenesis will depend increasingly upon heterotypic organ culture systems in vitro and evermore refined mouse models in vivo” [1].
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