Fluorescent CSC models evidence that targeted nanomedicines improve treatment sensitivity of breast and colon cancer stem cells

To be able to study efficacy of targeted nanomedicines in marginal population of highly aggressive cancer stem cells (CSC), we developed an in vitro CSC model that allows us to visualize CSC in heterogeneous population and allows us to monitor CSC biological performance in situ after therapy. Using this model, we demonstrated that drug delivery by actively targeted nanoparticles may well circumvent the CSC resistance machinery and increase CSC sensitivity to treatment by increasing drug accumulation within the tumor. This observation further validates the use of fluorescent CSC models in the preclinical evaluation of nanomedicines targeted against CSC.202