title: Concise Review: Stem Cells and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Cancer: Biological Implications and Therapeutic Targets.
abstract: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) constitute a small subpopulation of cancer cells with stem-like properties that are able to self-renew, generate differentiated daughter cells, and give rise to heterogeneous tumor tissue. Tumor heterogeneity is a hallmark of cancer and underlies resistance to anticancer therapies and disease progression. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a reversible phenomenon that is mediated by EMT-inducing transcription factors (EMT-TFs) and plays an important role in normal organ development, wound healing, and the invasiveness of cancer cells. Recent evidence showing that overexpression of several EMT-TFs is associated with stemness in cancer cells has suggested the existence of a link between EMT and CSCs. In this review, we focus on the roles of CSCs and EMT signaling in driving tumor heterogeneity. A better understanding of the dynamics of both CSCs and EMT-TFs in the generation of tumor heterogeneity may provide a basis for the development of new treatment options for cancer patients. Stem Cells 2016;34:1997-2007.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gene Regulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.|Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Division of Gene Regulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.|Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Semba
authors.affiliation: Division of Gene Regulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saya
authors.affiliation: Division of Gene Regulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
keywords: Cancer stem cell; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Therapeutic resistance; Tumor heterogeneity