Polyploid giant cancer cells and tumor budding: translation from basic research to clinical application
Polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) represent a distinct subpopulation of tumor cells characterized by enlarged or multiple nuclei and aneuploidy. PGCCs are products of genomic instability, possessing cancer stem cell properties and exhibiting significant resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Oncology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1611920/full |
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| author | Peng Huang Rong Wu Zhimou Yang Yuwei Li Fei Fei Yongjun Yu |
| author_facet | Peng Huang Rong Wu Zhimou Yang Yuwei Li Fei Fei Yongjun Yu |
| author_sort | Peng Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) represent a distinct subpopulation of tumor cells characterized by enlarged or multiple nuclei and aneuploidy. PGCCs are products of genomic instability, possessing cancer stem cell properties and exhibiting significant resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. They can generate highly invasive daughter cells through asymmetric division, exhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition characteristics, and facilitating tumor recurrence and metastasis. In vivo, PGCCs with daughter cells in tumor tissue can migrate and infiltrate into the forefront stroma to form tumor budding, which are closely related to solid tumor recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance. Studies have shown that inhibiting sphingolipid enzyme acid ceramidase or regulating autophagy can reduce the production of PGCCs with daughter cells. Under appropriate induction conditions, PGCCs with daughter cells can be induced to differentiate into benign tissues such as adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteocytes, inhibiting their malignant proliferation and invasive destruction. This study reviewed the recent research developments regarding PGCCs, mainly explored the endogenous mechanisms of PGCCs formation and their malignant phenotype, as well as the process of tumor budding formation in vivo and potential therapeutic strategies targeting PGCCs. The main novelty of this study lies in exploring the translation of PGCCs basic research into the clinical pathological prognostic role of tumor budding, which can reveal the potential mechanism of PGCCs/tumor budding formation at the molecular level, providing theoretical basis for prognosis assessment, monitoring of recurrence and metastasis risks, as well as improving drug resistance and targeted therapy in cancer patients. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0b7c5dae9e1349d1b4e08e4085fad97f |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2234-943X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Oncology |
| spelling | doaj-art-0b7c5dae9e1349d1b4e08e4085fad97f2025-07-16T04:12:04ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oncology2234-943X2025-07-011510.3389/fonc.2025.16119201611920Polyploid giant cancer cells and tumor budding: translation from basic research to clinical applicationPeng Huang0Rong Wu1Zhimou Yang2Yuwei Li3Fei Fei4Yongjun Yu5Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, ChinaDepartment of Scientific and Technology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, ChinaDepartment of Colorectal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin, ChinaDepartment of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, ChinaDepartment of Colorectal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin, ChinaPolyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) represent a distinct subpopulation of tumor cells characterized by enlarged or multiple nuclei and aneuploidy. PGCCs are products of genomic instability, possessing cancer stem cell properties and exhibiting significant resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. They can generate highly invasive daughter cells through asymmetric division, exhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition characteristics, and facilitating tumor recurrence and metastasis. In vivo, PGCCs with daughter cells in tumor tissue can migrate and infiltrate into the forefront stroma to form tumor budding, which are closely related to solid tumor recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance. Studies have shown that inhibiting sphingolipid enzyme acid ceramidase or regulating autophagy can reduce the production of PGCCs with daughter cells. Under appropriate induction conditions, PGCCs with daughter cells can be induced to differentiate into benign tissues such as adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteocytes, inhibiting their malignant proliferation and invasive destruction. This study reviewed the recent research developments regarding PGCCs, mainly explored the endogenous mechanisms of PGCCs formation and their malignant phenotype, as well as the process of tumor budding formation in vivo and potential therapeutic strategies targeting PGCCs. The main novelty of this study lies in exploring the translation of PGCCs basic research into the clinical pathological prognostic role of tumor budding, which can reveal the potential mechanism of PGCCs/tumor budding formation at the molecular level, providing theoretical basis for prognosis assessment, monitoring of recurrence and metastasis risks, as well as improving drug resistance and targeted therapy in cancer patients.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1611920/fulltumor buddingmetastasisdrug resistancetherapeutic strategiespolyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) |
| spellingShingle | Peng Huang Rong Wu Zhimou Yang Yuwei Li Fei Fei Yongjun Yu Polyploid giant cancer cells and tumor budding: translation from basic research to clinical application Frontiers in Oncology tumor budding metastasis drug resistance therapeutic strategies polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) |
| title | Polyploid giant cancer cells and tumor budding: translation from basic research to clinical application |
| title_full | Polyploid giant cancer cells and tumor budding: translation from basic research to clinical application |
| title_fullStr | Polyploid giant cancer cells and tumor budding: translation from basic research to clinical application |
| title_full_unstemmed | Polyploid giant cancer cells and tumor budding: translation from basic research to clinical application |
| title_short | Polyploid giant cancer cells and tumor budding: translation from basic research to clinical application |
| title_sort | polyploid giant cancer cells and tumor budding translation from basic research to clinical application |
| topic | tumor budding metastasis drug resistance therapeutic strategies polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1611920/full |
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