title: Cancer stem cells--important players in tumor therapy resistance.
abstract: Resistance to tumor therapy is an unsolved problem in cancer treatment. A plethora of studies have attempted to explain this phenomenon and many mechanisms of resistance have been suggested over recent decades. The concept of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which describes tumors as hierarchically organized, has added a new level of complexity to therapy failure. CSCs are the root of cancers and resist chemo- and radiotherapy, explaining cancer recurrence even many years after therapy is ended. This review discusses briefly CSCs in cancers, gives an overview of the role of CSCs in therapy resistance, and discusses the potential means of targeting these therapy-resistant tumor cells.
authors.affiliation: LEXOR (Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology), Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine and Cancer Genomics Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Selcuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Colak
authors.forename: Jan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Medema
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004260:DNA Repair; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015195:Drug Design; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000502:physiology; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000502:physiology; D012008:Recurrence; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D051880:Receptors, Notch
keywords: cancer; cancer stem cell; chemotherapy; resistance; tumor-initiating cells