The Impact of Polyploid Giant Cancer Cells: The Root of Stress Resilience

Abstract

Polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) represent a unique and distinct subset of cancer cells, characterized by either an abnormally large nucleus or the presence of multiple nuclei within a single cell. An increasing body of evidence indicates that PGCCs are closely linked to cancer progression, therapeutic resistance, and poor clinical prognosis. However, despite their distinctive morphology, no universal marker has been identified to reliably distinguish PGCCs from other cancer cell populations. This is at least partly because PGCCs arise across various cancer types in diverse contexts, displaying considerable variability in their gene expression profiles. Nevertheless, they share key features, most notably polyploidy and remarkable stress resilience. The exceptional stress resilience of PGCCs arises from various mechanisms, including genome redundancy buffering against genetic damage, dormancy induction for survival in harsh conditions, gene expression changes enhancing hypoxia resistance, and metabolic adaptations supporting growth in resource-limited environments. Collectively, these properties make PGCCs highly resilient to stress, facilitating their persistence and contributing to the progression and aggressiveness of cancer. In this review, we provide a comprehensive discussion of the mechanisms underlying PGCC stress resilience and explore its broader implications for cancer pathogenesis. Understanding these adaptive strategies may offer new insights into cancer biology and reveal potential therapeutic targets to mitigate PGCC-driven malignancy.