就像时间和潮水一样，胚胎发育不等人而强势地发展到完成，只有一种例外。休眠是一种神秘的、可逆的、停滞的状态，用于保护发育中的胚胎。癌细胞已进化为窃取许多有用的干细胞功能，而休眠也不例外。最近的研究揭示了一种类似休眠的癌细胞状态，引发了对其关键分子调控因子在癌症治疗中的使用的探索。本文作者Sun等人通过揭示一种关键的调控剂——冷凝蛋白SMC4，填补了这一知识空白。版权所有 ©2023 Elsevier Inc. 保留所有权利。

Just like time and tide, embryonic development waits for no man but progresses forcefully to its completion, with just one exception. Diapause is an enigmatic, reversible, dormant halt that protects the developing embryo. Cancer cells have evolved to hijack many useful stem cell capabilities, and diapause is no exception. Recent work has revealed a diapause-like cancer cell state, prompting the quest for its key molecular regulators useful for cancer therapies. The present paper by Sun et al.1 addresses this knowledge gap by revealing a key player in regulating the diapause-like cancer cell stage, the condensin protein SMC4.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.