title: The role of cancer stem cells in tumor heterogeneity and resistance to therapy.
abstract: Cancer is a heterogenous disease displaying marked inter- and intra-tumoral diversity. The existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) has been experimentally demonstrated in a number of cancer types as a subpopulation of tumor cells that drives the tumorigenic and metastatic properties of the entire cancer. Thus, eradication of the CSC population is critical for the complete ablation of a tumor. This is, however, confounded by the inherent resistance of CSCs to standard anticancer therapies, eventually leading to the outgrowth of resistant tumor cells and relapse in patients. The cellular mechanisms of therapy resistance in CSCs are ascribed to several factors including a state of quiescence, an enhanced DNA damage response and active repair mechanisms, up-regulated expression of drug efflux transporters, as well as the activation of pro-survival signaling pathways and inactivation of apoptotic signaling. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the acquisition of resistance to therapy may hold the key to targeting the CSC population.
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Research Division & Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.
authors.forename: Christina Valbirk
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Konrad
authors.affiliation: b Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Reshma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murali
authors.affiliation: b Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Binitha Anu
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Varghese
authors.affiliation: b Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Radhika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nair
mesh_terms: D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: cancer stem cells (CSCs); cellules souches cancéreuses (CSC); heterogeneity; hétérogénéité; metastasis; métastase; résistance au traitement; therapy resistance; tumorsphere assay; étude sur tumorsphères