Differential Analyses of Leader and Follower Cancer Cells

Document Type : Review Articles

Authors

1 Medical Biotechnology Department, Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications

2 Protein Research Department, Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications

Abstract

Abstract
Metastasis is a hallmark of cancer that is responsible for the greatest number of cancer-related deaths (~90%). For the metastasis to take place, the primary tumor mass engineers migratory cells that can invade adjacent tissues and circulate to distant organs where cancer cells have sufficient nutrients to grow and form new colonies. The migrating cell group typically consists of “LEADER” cells at the front, which navigate the path lead collective invasive packs, and “FOLLOWER” cells that trail behind and support the movement. Both leader and follower cells communicate and cooperate to achieve collective cancer migration and invasion. Recent studies showed that the elimination of a leader cell disrupts collective cell migration. However, The mechanisms controlling the synchronized migration of leader and follower cells are still unresolved. Therefore, the genetic and metabolic traits of leader and follower cells, enabling them to navigate their way into secondary nutrient-rich sites and escape the immune system surveillance, need further elucidation. Interestingly, the differential Multi-omic analyses of cancer leader and follower cells are an emerging area of research within the study of tumor heterogeneity and metastasis. This review highlights the recent findings about leader/follower cancer cells focusing on their unique proteomic, metabolic, and transcriptomic signatures rendering them their unique involvement in cancer metastasis and invasion.

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