Cancer stem cells: therapeutic implications and perspectives in cancer therapy

The cancer stem cell (CSC) theory is gaining increasing attention from researchers and has become an important focus of cancer research. According to the theory, a minority population of cancer cells is capable of self-renewal and generation of differentiated progeny, termed cancer stem cells (CSCs). Understanding the properties and characteristics of CSCs is key to future study on cancer research, such as the isolation and identification of CSCs, the cancer diagnosis, and the cancer therapy. Standard oncology treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical resection, can only shrink the bulk tumor and the tumor tends to relapse. Thus, therapeutic strategies that focus on targeting CSCs and their microenvironmental niche address the ineffectiveness of traditional cancer therapies to eradicate the CSCs that otherwise result in therapy resistance. The combined use of traditional therapies with targeted CSC-specific agents may target the whole cancer and offer a promising strategy for lasting treatment and even cure.

This review introduces the basic information about CSCs including the definition, origination and the main characteristics; compares different techniques used to isolate and identify the minority of CSCs among the bulk tumors; analyzes the reasons for the failure of traditional therapies (chemotherapy, radiotherapy) and the resistant mechanisms inherent in CSCs and the microenvironment; and discusses the multiple therapeutic implications of targeting CSCs.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide