Dormacy in Cancer and Tumor Cells

Abstract

The phenomenon of dormancy in cancer and tumor cells is defined by the halting of cell division and the preservation of a dormant or slow-growing condition. Cells can stay in this state long after the underlying tumor has been excised or after surveillance and therapeutic intervention, and it can endure for years or even decades. During the course of a cancer, cancer cells are likely to spread, and some may go into dormancy, remaining alive but not multiplying. With today's diagnostic tools, it is extremely rare to find these latent cancer cells (DCCs). Additionally, they are able to decipher homoeostatic signals from the microenvironment to avoid immune monitoring and treatment. DCCs may eventually reawaken in response to not recognized signals, which would cause recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, avoiding metastasis requires an understanding of the biology of DCC reawakening. Chronic inflammation can revive cancer proliferation in distant places, and immune cells' cytotoxic activities can put cancer cells into a latent condition. Circulating DCCs bind to extracellular molecules, activating a number of signaling cascades and resuming cell growth. Recent research has revealed that dormant cells can reactivate and develop metastatic illness, which is the main factor contributing to cancer-related mortality. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend the variables that control dormancy and reactivation in order to create efficient methods to stop the spread of metastatic illness. In summary, dormancy in cancer and tumor cells is a complicated and poorly understood phenomena that is crucial to the development and metastasis of cancer. To understand the mechanisms that control dormancy and to create efficient therapeutic approaches to stop cancer development and metastasis, more research is required.The objective of this review article is to provide a valuable and critical summary of the area of dormancy in cancer and tumor cells. Articles used in this review were sourced from websites like researchgate, Elsevier, etc using keywords like cancer, dormancy, tumor, etc.