title: Gastric cancer stem cells: a novel therapeutic target.
abstract: Gastric cancer remains one of the leading causes of global cancer mortality. Multipotent gastric stem cells have been identified in both mouse and human stomachs, and they play an essential role in the self-renewal and homeostasis of gastric mucosa. There are several environmental and genetic factors known to promote gastric cancer. In recent years, numerous in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that gastric cancer may originate from normal stem cells or bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cells, and that gastric tumors contain cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are believed to share a common microenvironment with normal niche, which play an important role in gastric cancer and tumor growth. This mini-review presents a brief overview of the recent developments in gastric cancer stem cell research. The knowledge gained by studying cancer stem cells in gastric mucosa will support the development of novel therapeutic strategies for gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA. singhshr@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Shree Ram
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D055153:Stem Cell Niche / Q000187:drug effects; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Cancer stem cells; Gastric cancer; Gastric epithelial cells; Stem cells; Stomach