Targeting stem cells-clinical implications for cancer therapy.
Cancer stem cells (CSC), also called tumor initiating cells (TIC), are considered to be the origin of replicating malignant tumor cells in a variety of human cancers. Their presence in the tumor may herald malignancy potential, mediate resistance to conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and confer poor survival outcomes. Thus, CSC may serve as critical cellular targets for treatment. The ability to therapeutically target CSC hinges upon identifying their unique cell surface markers and the underlying survival signaling pathways. While accumulating evidence suggests cell-surface antigens (such as CD44, CD133) as CSC markers for several tumor tissues, emerging clinical needs exist for the identification of new markers to completely separate CSC from normal stem cells. Recent studies have demonstrated the critical role of the tumor suppressor PTEN/PI3 kinase pathway in regulating TIC in leukemia, brain, and intestinal tissues. The successful eradication of tumors by therapies targeting CSC will require an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing CSC self renewal, differentiation, and escape from conventional therapy. Here we review recent progress from brain tumor and intestinal stem cell research with a focus on the PTEN-Akt-Wnt pathway, and how the components of CSC pathways may serve as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics.
Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98103, USA.
Lan Chun
LC
Tu
Greg
G
Foltz
Edward
E
Lin
Leroy
L
Hood
Qiang
Q
Tian
D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human