Cancer stem cell targeted therapy: progress amid controversies.
Although cancer stem cells have been well characterized in numerous malignancies, the fundamental characteristics of this group of cells, however, have been challenged by some recent observations: cancer stem cells may not necessary to be rare within tumors; cancer stem cells and non-cancer stem cells may undergo reversible phenotypic changes; and the cancer stem cells phenotype can vary substantially between patients. Here the current status and progresses of cancer stem cells theory is illustrated and via providing a panoramic view of cancer therapy, we addressed the recent controversies regarding the feasibility of cancer stem cells targeted anti-cancer therapy.
School of Nursing, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.|School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia.
Tao
T
Wang
School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia.
Sarah
S
Shigdar
Centre for Cancer Research, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Michael P
MP
Gantier
Co-Innovation Center for Qinba Region's Sustainable Development, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Yingchun
Y
Hou
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Henan Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Li
L
Wang
Cancer Care Centre, St George Hospital and St George Clinical School, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Kensington, Australia.
Yong
Y
Li
School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia.
Hadi Al
HA
Shamaileh
School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia.
Wang
W
Yin
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
Shu-Feng
SF
Zhou
Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, China.
Xinhan
X
Zhao
School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia.
Wei
W
Duan
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D015195:Drug Design; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
anti-cancer treatment; cancer; cancer stem cell; cancer stem cell marker; cancer stem cell model