Envisioning metastasis as a transdifferentiation phenomenon clarifies discordant results on cancer

What is it about?

The pursuit of therapeutic targets for treating cancer is hindered by the inherently dual nature of this pathology. The growth and malignancy of tumors of epithelial origin correspond to distinct phenotypes, dedifferentiated and transdifferentiated respectively, which generally coexist in the same patient. As a consequence, promising candidate targets turned to be deceiving because of their so-called paradoxical effects. These drawbacks are illustrated here with a series of molecules and general programs.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Fighting proliferation and metastasis are often mutually conflicting because of their antagonism.

Perspectives