Conclusion and Future Perspectives
Interest in understanding cellular plasticity in different forms of
cancer as well as its crucial role in therapy resistance has led to
uncovering the mechanism and targeting different major cell-intrinsic as
well as extrinsic drivers of the process. The main focus of the review
is the cell intrinsic pathways that modulate the phenomenon of cell
plasticity. Cell intrinsic mechanisms include major signaling pathways
which are mostly dysregulated in cancer and tend to inculcate plasticity
in the breast cancer cells10,85. These dysregulated
pathways also are major driving factors for resistance towards treatment
and targeting the same has been the major focus of the researchers for a
long time. This had led to various targeted therapy and the development
of several inhibitors of those dysregulated biomarkers.
(Figure 2): Targeting molecular pathways contributing to cancer cell
plasticity
Another important player that has a major role in cellular plasticity
induction and therapy resistance is the tumor microenvironment
(TME)86. The complex networking of different cells and
immune system players along with the cancer cells forms an intricate
connection and provides an avenue for inducting cellular plasticity as
well as therapy resistance due to the same. Targeting the
microenvironment will also lead to potential therapeutic avenues for
curbing this deadly phenomenon of plasticity and therapy resistance. The
exact mechanisms both intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms leading to
cellular plasticity and therapy resistance in cancer are yet to be
untangled. This will profit the researchers who are continuously looking
for designing therapeutic approaches that aim at perturbing the
interplay of cellular factors resulting in plasticity and restricting it
alongside curbing tumor heterogeneity87 caused by the
same which accounts for therapy resistance.