생화학분자생물학회

	Name: Moon Jong Kim ( moonjongkim7@gachon.ac.kr )
	2022 -present	Assistant Professor, Department of Life Science, Gachon University, Korea Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute
	2019-2021	Instructor, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
	2015-2019	Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
	2006-2014	Ph.D., Department of Systems Biology, Yonsei University, Korea

Diagnosis and therapeutic targeting of quiescent cancer cells: Road to conquer cancer recurrence

Quiescent cancer cells (QCCs) are considered an origin of cancer recurrence and present an ongoing challenge in cancer treatment. Following anti-cancer therapy, non-proliferating, therapy- resistant QCCs have been detected in subsets of residual cancer cells within patients' bodies. Clinicians and researchers widely believe that these minimal residual QCCs can eventually re- gain proliferative activity, acting as "seeds" for cancer recurrence.
Despite the significance of QCCs, tracing and analyzing these microscopic residual cells in vivo model and patient remains extremely challenging, limiting our understanding. Consequently, reliable biomarkers for QCCs and the mechanisms underlying their reactivation are still poorly understood. This knowledge gap has hindered the development of diagnostics and targeted therapies for QCCs. The absence of diagnostic tools for QCCs also complicates predicting cancer relapse and determining the optimal duration of anti-cancer treatment. Moreover, without strategies to eradicate QCCs, preventing cancer recurrence remains elusive.
This review aims to provide an overview of the current understanding of QCCs and QCC-related diagnostic efforts in both basic and clinical research. Additionally, potential strategies for the targeted elimination of QCCs are explored. Focused research and clinical attention on diagnosing and eradicating residual QCCs are essential for preventing cancer recurrence and ultimately conquering this deadly disease.


BMB Rep. 2025 Jun 11:6435. Online ahead of print.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40495485/