The bad seed: Cancer stem cells in tumor development and resistance.
Over the past two decades cancer stem cells (CSCs) have emerged as essential players in the pathogenesis of cancer, with the capacity to initiate, maintain and repopulate different tumors. Within the tumor bulk, CSCs represent a small subpopulation, bestowed with the capacity to self-renew and yield heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells. In many scenarios, CSCs exhibit increased resistance toward irradiation and chemotherapy, and given their spectacular ability to replenish the tumor, they constitute a substantial therapeutic challenge. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the concept of CSCs and the experimental methodology utilized for identifying and isolating these unique cells. We discuss how CSCs are regulated within the tumor microenvironment as well as the role they portray in seeding fresh tumors. Finally, we explore the mechanisms that enable CSCs to evade modern therapeutic approaches and the possible strategies that can be utilized to prevent CSCs from resurrecting the disease.
Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Israel; Lorry Lokey Interdisciplinary Center for Life Sciences and Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200, Israel.
Elle
E
Koren
Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Israel; Lorry Lokey Interdisciplinary Center for Life Sciences and Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200, Israel. Electronic address: yfuchs@technion.ac.il.
Yaron
Y
Fuchs
D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D018450:Disease Progression; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
Apoptosis; Cancer; Cancer stem cells (CSCs); EMT; Lineage tracing; Metastasis; Relapse; Signaling pathways; Therapy resistance; Tumor-initiating cells (TICs)