The Cytoskeleton as a functional axis of tumor aggressiveness in domestic animals
Structural, mechanical, and translational integration
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29155/VET.62.226.8Keywords:
Cytoskeleton, Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, Tumor aggressiveness, Veterinary oncology, Domestic animalsAbstract
The cytoskeleton is a key regulatory system in tumor progression, integrating structural, biochemical, and mechanical signals that influence cellular behavior. This review critically analyzed evidence on cytoskeletal proteins and their remodeling as indicators of tumor aggressiveness in neoplasms of domestic animals, emphasizing dogs, cats, horses, and cattle. Literature from 2011 to 2025 was prioritized, with earlier seminal studies included for foundational or mechanistic context. Immunohistochemical, clinicopathological, and functional evidence indicates that actin reorganization, microtubule dynamics, altered intermediate filament expression, and E-cadherin-mediated adhesion are associated with invasion, proliferation, and cellular plasticity. Aberrant vimentin expression in epithelial neoplastic cells is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, whereas its expression in mesenchymal neoplasms primarily reflects cellular lineage and should not independently indicate aggressiveness. However, veterinary evidence remains predominantly associative, with limited functional validation. Overall, the cytoskeleton represents a relevant functional axis of tumor aggressiveness with potential diagnostic and prognostic value, although further experimental validation is required.
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