Expanding roles of centrosome abnormalities in cancers

Abstract

Centrosome abnormalities are hallmarks of human cancers. Struc-tural and numerical centrosome abnormalities correlate with tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis, implicating that cen-trosome abnormalities could be a cause of tumorigenesis. Since Boveri made his pioneering recognition of the potential causal link between centrosome abnormalities and cancer more than a century ago, there has been significant progress in the field. Here, we review recent advances in the understanding of the causes and consequences of centrosome abnormalities and their connection to cancers. Centrosome abnormalities can drive the initiation and progression of cancers in multiple ways. For exam-ple, they can generate chromosome instability through abnormal mitosis, accelerating cancer genome evolution. Remarkably, it is becoming clear that the mechanisms by which centrosome abnormalities promote several steps of tumorigenesis are far be-yond what Boveri had initially envisioned. We highlight various cancer-promoting mechanisms exerted by cells with centrosome abnormalities and how these cells possessing oncogenic poten-tial can be monitored. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(4): 216-224]