Department of Biology, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, USA.
Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI), Center for Health Disparity Research (RCMI-CHDR), Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, USA.
Results Probl Cell Differ. 2024;71:407-432. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-37936-9_19.
Cell-cell fusion is a normal physiological mechanism that requires a well-orchestrated regulation of intracellular and extracellular factors. Dysregulation of this process could lead to diseases such as osteoporosis, malformation of muscles, difficulties in pregnancy, and cancer. Extensive literature demonstrates that fusion occurs between cancer cells and other cell types to potentially promote cancer progression and metastasis. However, the mechanisms governing this process in cancer initiation, promotion, and progression are less well-studied. Fusogens involved in normal physiological processes such as syncytins and associated factors such as phosphatidylserine and annexins have been observed to be critical in cancer cell fusion as well. Some of the extracellular factors associated with cancer cell fusion include chronic inflammation and inflammatory cytokines, hypoxia, and viral infection. The interaction between these extracellular factors and cell's intrinsic factors potentially modulates actin dynamics to drive the fusion of cancer cells. In this review, we have discussed the different mechanisms that have been identified or postulated to drive cancer cell fusion.
细胞融合是一种正常的生理机制,需要细胞内和细胞外因素的协调调控。该过程的失调可能导致骨质疏松症、肌肉畸形、妊娠困难和癌症等疾病。大量文献表明,癌细胞与其他细胞类型之间发生融合,可能促进癌症的进展和转移。然而,在癌症的起始、促进和进展过程中,控制这一过程的机制研究得还不够充分。在正常生理过程中起作用的融合蛋白,如合胞体蛋白和相关因子,如磷脂酰丝氨酸和膜联蛋白,也被观察到在癌细胞融合中起关键作用。一些与癌细胞融合相关的细胞外因子包括慢性炎症和炎症细胞因子、缺氧和病毒感染。这些细胞外因子与细胞内在因子之间的相互作用可能调节肌动蛋白动力学,从而驱动癌细胞的融合。在这篇综述中,我们讨论了已经确定或假设的不同机制来驱动癌细胞融合。