Cell-in-cell structure in cancer: evading strategies from anti-cancer therapies

One of the regulated forms cell death is cell-in-cell (CIC) structure, in which a surviving engulfed by another cell, mechanism that causes an adjacent cell. Several investigators have previously shown presence CICs independent risk factor significantly associated with decreased survival patients various types cancer. In this review, we summarize role CIC tumor microenvironment (TME), including changes and crosstalk molecules proteins surrounding CIC, these factors contributing to therapeutic resistance acquisition. Moreover, structure formation influenced modulation TME, may lead cellular properties. Future use as clinical diagnostic tool will require better understanding effects chemotherapy on biomarkers for each process, development automated detection methods tissue sections specimens.