Wang B, Zhou H, Luo Y, Tang R, Zheng S
Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention of Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China.
Curr Med Chem. 2014;21(22):2510-21. doi: 10.2174/0929867321666131213102724.
Metastasis is responsible for most deaths of cancer burdens. Given that metastatic cancer cells are generally very low in quantity but high in multiplicity, and able to migrate to diverse organs, the diagnosis and intervention of metastatic cancers face varieties of challenges. For example, the biomarker for early diagnosis, and detection of circulating tumor cells by way of epithelial cell adhesion molecule, are complicated by the epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT). Enhanced permeation and retention have been widely explored but with limitations, especially for microscale metastatic tumors. Furthermore, drug-resistance and side-effects of chemotherapy remain problematic for diverse cancers. Interfaces of cells play essential roles in many physiological activities including signal transduction and immunological recognition, which can be exploited for medical application of interfacial materials; indeed, given unique chemical and physical interfacial properties, numerous micro/nano particles and interfacial materials exhibit great potentials for diagnosis and intervention of metastatic cancers. Here we highlight current research, opportunities and challenges for application potentials of biological interfacial engineering in diagnosis and intervention of metastatic cancers.
转移是癌症负担导致大多数死亡的原因。鉴于转移性癌细胞数量通常非常少但异质性高，并且能够迁移到不同器官，转移性癌症的诊断和干预面临各种挑战。例如，早期诊断的生物标志物以及通过上皮细胞粘附分子检测循环肿瘤细胞，会因上皮-间质转化（EMT）而变得复杂。增强渗透和滞留效应已得到广泛研究，但存在局限性，尤其是对于微小的转移性肿瘤。此外，化疗的耐药性和副作用在多种癌症中仍然是问题。细胞界面在包括信号转导和免疫识别在内的许多生理活动中起着重要作用，这可用于界面材料的医学应用；实际上，鉴于独特的化学和物理界面特性，众多的微/纳米颗粒和界面材料在转移性癌症的诊断和干预方面具有巨大潜力。在此，我们重点介绍生物界面工程在转移性癌症诊断和干预中的应用潜力的当前研究、机遇和挑战。
