Imaging Tunneling Membrane Tubes Elucidates Cell Communication in Tumors.
Trends Cancer
; 3(10): 678-685, 2017 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-28958386
ABSTRACT
Intercellular communication is a vital yet underdeveloped aspect of cancer pathobiology. This Opinion article reviews the importance and challenges of microscopic imaging of tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) in the complex tumor microenvironment. The use of advanced microscopy to characterize TNTs in vitro and ex vivo, and related extensions called tumor microtubes (TMs) reported in gliomas in vivo, has propelled this field forward. This topic is important because the identification of TNTs and TMs fills the gap in our knowledge of how cancer cells communicate at long range in vivo, inducing intratumor heterogeneity and resistance to treatment. Here we discuss the concept that TNTs/TMs fill an important niche in the ever-changing microenvironment and the role of advanced microscopic imaging to elucidate that niche.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Cell Communication
/
Molecular Imaging
/
Tumor Microenvironment
/
Neoplasms
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Trends Cancer
Year:
2017
Document type:
Article