title: Colorectal cancer stem cells and cell death.
abstract: Nowadays it is reported that, similarly to other solid tumors, colorectal cancer is sustained by a rare subset of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), which survive conventional anticancer treatments, thanks to efficient mechanisms allowing escape from apoptosis, triggering tumor recurrence. To improve patient outcomes, conventional anticancer therapies have to be replaced with specific approaches targeting CSCs. In this review we provide strong support that BMP4 is an innovative therapeutic approach to prevent colon cancer growth increasing differentiation markers expression and apoptosis. Recent data suggest that in colorectal CSCs, protection from apoptosis is achieved by interleukin-4 (IL-4) autocrine production through upregulation of antiapoptotic mediators, including survivin. Consequently, IL-4 neutralization could deregulate survivin expression and localization inducing chemosensitivity of the colon CSCs pool.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical and Oncological Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Liborio Giuffrè 5, 90127 Palermo (PA), Italy. giorgio.stassi@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaggianesi
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spina
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iovino
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dieli
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stassi
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Todaro