Tumor reversion: Correction of malignant behavior by microenvironmental cues

Modeling Breast Acini in Tissue Culture for Detection of Malignant Phenotype Reversion to Non-Malignant Phenotype

Backgrounds: Evidence is accumulating to support disruption of tissue architecture as a powerful event in tumor formation. For the past four decades, intensive cancer research with the premise of “cancer as a cell based-disease” focused on finding oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. However, the role of the tissue architecture was neglected. Three dimensional (3D) cell cultures which can recap...

Modulation of Cancer Progression by Tumor Microenvironmental Leukocyte-Expressed microRNAs

Tumor reversion holds promise

In the present issue of the journal, Makoto Noda and colleagues present a screening assay for anti-cancer drugs based on tumor reversion, identifying a series of hitherto unsuspected compounds that are of potential therapeutic interest. More specifically, the assay is based upon triggering the promoter of Reck, which functions as an inhibitor of metalloproteinases. Among the pharmaceutical agen...

Presentation counts: microenvironmental regulation of stem cells by biophysical and material cues.

Stem cells reside in adult and embryonic tissues in a broad spectrum of developmental stages and lineages, and they are thus naturally exposed to diverse microenvironments or niches that modulate their hallmark behaviors of self-renewal and differentiation into one or more mature lineages. Within each such microenvironment, stem cells sense and process multiple biochemical and biophysical cues,...

Splenogonadal Fusion Operated as a Malignant Tumor

Splenogonadal fusion is a rare congenital malformation whereby the splenic tissue is found attached or surrounded by the testis, and presents in both continuous and discontinuous forms. Splenogonadal fusion may be misinterpreted as a primary malignant testicular or an adenomatoid tumor. Knowledge about the existence of such an entity is essential in order to preserve the testis during surgical ...