Current evidence for cancer stem cells in gastrointestinal tumors and future research perspectives.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a very heterogeneous subpopulation of "stem-like" cancer cells that have been identified in many cancers, including leukemias and solid tumors. It is believed that CSCs drive tumor growth, malignant behavior and are responsible for the initiation of metastatic spread. In addition, CSCs have been implicated in chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistance. Current evidence supports the theory that CSCs share at least two main features of normal stem cells: self-renewal and differentiation, properties that contribute to tumor survival even in the presence of aggressive chemotherapy; however, the mechanism(s) governing the unique biology of CSCs remain unclear. In the field of gastrointestinal cancer, where we face very low survival rates across different tumor types, unraveling the role of CSCs in gastrointestinal tumors should improve our knowledge of cancer biology and chemoresistance, ultimately benefiting patient survival. Towards this end, much effort is being invested in the characterization of CSCs as a means of overcoming drug resistance and controlling metastatic spread. In this review we will cover the concept of CSCs, the current evidence for CSCs in gastrointestinal tumors and future research directions.
Medical Oncology Department, Infanta Sofía University Hospital, S.S. Reyes, Madrid, Spain; Precision Oncology Laboratory, Infanta Sofía University Hospital, S.S. Reyes, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: miriam.lopez@telefonica.net.
Miriam
M
López-Gómez
Medical Oncology Department, Infanta Sofía University Hospital, S.S. Reyes, Madrid, Spain; Precision Oncology Laboratory, Infanta Sofía University Hospital, S.S. Reyes, Madrid, Spain.
Enrique
E
Casado
Pathological Anatomy Department, Infanta Sofía University Hospital, S.S Reyes, Madrid, Spain.
Marta
M
Muñoz
Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Cancer Biology Department, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain; Enfermedades Crónicas y Cáncer Area, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.
Sonia
S
Alcalá
Precision Oncology Laboratory, Infanta Sofía University Hospital, S.S. Reyes, Madrid, Spain.
Juan
J
Moreno-Rubio
Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Gabriele
G
D'Errico
Medical Oncology Department, Infanta Sofía University Hospital, S.S. Reyes, Madrid, Spain; Precision Oncology Laboratory, Infanta Sofía University Hospital, S.S. Reyes, Madrid, Spain.
Ana María
AM
Jiménez-Gordo
Pathological Anatomy Department, Infanta Sofía University Hospital, S.S Reyes, Madrid, Spain.
Silvia
S
Salinas
Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Cancer Biology Department, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain; Enfermedades Crónicas y Cáncer Area, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: bruno.sainz@uam.es.
Bruno
B
Sainz
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D000066673:Cell Self Renewal; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells
Cancer stem cells; Drug resistance; Gastrointestinal tumors; Molecular markers