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TIL: cancer cells
Mar. 12th, 2019 02:28 pmGreater than 80% of all cancer cases are carcinomas, formed by the malignant transformation of epithelial cells. One of the key features of epithelial tumors is the presence of intercellular junctions, which link tumor cells to one another. Epithelial junctions act as barriers to the penetration of molecules with a molecular weight of >400 Da and therefore serve as a basic resistance mechanism that protects tumor cells from host antibody- or cell-mediated antitumor immune responses.
Notably, for most carcinomas, progression to malignancy is accompanied by a loss of epithelial differentiation and a shift toward a mesenchymal phenotype through an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).11 EMT increases migration and invasiveness and is often one of the prerequisites for metastasis. However, after metastasis, cells that have undergone EMT are thought to revert to a well-differentiated epithelial phenotype through mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition ( MET), there- by regaining epithelial junctions. Epithelial junctions are therefore also a barrier for drugs in metastatic lesions.
Epithelial junctions in solid tumors also represent barriers to penetration of tumor therapy agents, including monoclonal antibodies and chemotherapy drugs.
DOI: 10.1089/hum.2016.022
Imagine you've invented a new cancer drug. Where would it be more profitable for a pharma company to use it (pick one country): China, Germany, or US? Where it would be more beneficial to the society to use it (pick one country): China, Germany, or US? How the situation is going to change in 10, 20, 30 years?
Briefly explain your reasoning.
