title: Cancer stem-like cell: a novel target for   nasopharyngeal carcinoma therapy.
abstract: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common cancer originating in the nasopharynx, and is extremely common in southern regions of China. Although the standard combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy has improved the efficiency in patients with NPC, relapse and early metastasis are still the common causes of mortality. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) or tumor initial cells are hypothesized to be involved in cancer metastasis and recurrence. Over the past decade, increasing numbers of studies have been carried out to identify CSCs from human NPC cells and tissues. The present paper will summarize the investigations on nasopharyngeal CSCs, including isolation, characteristics, and therapeutic approaches. Although there are still numerous challenges to translate basic research into clinical applications, understanding the molecular details of CSCs is essential for developing effective strategies to prevent the recurrence and metastasis of NPC.
authors.forename: Pingpin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Suming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Cijun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shuai
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shuping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Guiyuan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma; D006801:Humans; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*