Cancer Cell Communications, Metastasis, and Survival in Host Microenvironment

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer metastasis is responsible for approximately 90% cancer death¹. When an invading cancer cell migrates out of the primary solid tumor, this cell faces unfriendly host cells in the microenvironment^2,3. WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX)-deficient or-dysfunctional cancer cells, designated WWOXd^2,3, are mainly metastatic, and cannot recognize host cells and parental cancer cells. These metastatic cancer cells are able to dodge, compromise, and cause damage to the WWOX-functional normal host cells or parental cancer cells (WWOXf) from a distance^2,3. WWOXf cells are either normal cells or benign cancer cells^2,3.

WWOXf cells migrate collectively and expel the individually migrating WWOXd cells. WWOXd cells, in turn, kill a portion of WWOXf cells from a distance by significantly upregulating redox activity in WWOXf cells for leading to cell death^2,3. It is reasonable to assume that metastatic WWOXd cells are repelled, in part, by the parental WWOXf cells in the primary tumor, and then leave the home base. From a remote distance, WWOXf cells induce WWOXd cells to activate MIF, Hyal-2, Eph, and Wnt signaling pathways, followed by converging to the MEK/ERK signaling that enables WWOXd cells to undergo retrograde migration to evade WWOXf cells^2,3. Exogenous TGF-β assists WWOXd cells to migrate forward in a collective manner and then merge with WWOXf cells, suggesting that TGF-β derived from metastatic WWOXd cells enhances the recognition and merging between WWOXd and WWOXf cell^2,3.

In this call for research and review papers 2023, the specific topic will focus on gene alterations that contribute to changes in cancer cell migratory behavior, cell-to-cell recognition and communication, cancer cell-host cell functional antagonism, and cell survival in host microenvironment. We welcome articles related, but not limited, to

(1) gene alteration-induced cancer cell metastasis and the underlined signaling pathways;

(2) metastatic cancer cell and host cell recognition;

(3) metastatic cancer cell modification of host microenvironment;

(4) cancer cell-derived cytokines and/or exosomes in attacking host cells;

(5) molecular mechanisms by which host cells fight back to kill metastatic cancer cells;

(6) whether and how metastatic cancer cells and host cells compromise each other so that metastatic cancer cells can build a new home base in a target organ;

(7) innovative methodologies to measure metastatic cancer cell and host cell recognition and communication.  

1. Fares, J.; Fares, M.Y.; Khachfe, H.H.; Salhab, H.A.; Fares, Y. Molecular principles of metastasis: A hallmark of cancer revisited. Signal Transduct. Target Ther. 2020, 5, 28.
2. Chen, Y.A.; Sie, Y.D.; Liu, T.Y.; Kuo, H.L.; Chou, P.Y.; Chen, Y.J.; Lee, K.T.; Chen, P.J.; Chen, S.T.; Chang, N.S. Normal cells repel WWOX-negative or -dysfunctional cancer cells via WWOX cell surface epitope 286-299. Commun. Biol. 2021, 4, 1–19.
3. Chou, P.Y.; Lai, F.J.; Chen, Y.A.; Sie, Y.D.; Kuo, H.L.; Su, W.P.; Wu, C.Y.; Liu, T.Y.; Wen, K.Y.; Hsu, L.J.; et al. Strategies by which WWOX-deficient metastatic cancer cells utilize to survive via dodging, compromising, and causing damage to WWOX-positive normal microenvironment. Cell Death Discov. 2019, 5, 97.

Dr. Nan-Shan Chang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.