title: Concise Review: Emerging Drugs Targeting Epithelial Cancer Stem-Like Cells.
abstract: Increasing evidence suggests that cancer cell populations contain a small proportion of cells that display stem-like cell properties and which may be responsible for overall tumor maintenance. These cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) appear to have unique tumor-initiating ability and innate survival mechanisms that allow them to resist cancer therapies, consequently promoting relapses. Selective targeting of CSCs may provide therapeutic benefit and several recent reports have indicated this may be possible. In this article, we review drugs targeting CSCs, in selected epithelial cell-derived cancers. Stem Cells 2017;35:839-850.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Genetics & Stem Cell Group, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mehreen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Biomed Insights Ltd, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Kritika
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chaudhari
authors.affiliation: Cancer Genetics & Stem Cell Group, Nottingham, United Kingdom.|Tumor & Vascular Biology Laboratories, Cancer Biology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Babaei-Jadidi
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Structural Biology, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Biomolecular Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lodewijk V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Dekker
authors.affiliation: Cancer Genetics & Stem Cell Group, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Abdolrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shams Nateri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Cancer stem cells; Cell signaling; Differentiation; Drug targets; Self-renewal; Signal transduction; Targeted therapy; Tissue-specific stem cells