title: Combination of chemotherapy and cancer stem cell targeting agents: Preclinical and clinical studies.
abstract: The cancer stem cell model claims that the initiation, maintenance, and growth of a tumor are driven by a small population of cancer cells termed cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells possess a variety of phenotypes associated with therapeutic resistance and often cause recurrence of the diseases. Several strategies have been investigated to target cancer stem cells in a variety of cancers, such as blocking one or more self-renewal signaling pathways, reducing the expression of drug efflux and ATP-binding cassette efflux transporters, modulating epigenetic aberrations, and promoting cancer stem cell differentiation. A number of cell and animal studies strongly support the potential benefits of combining chemotherapeutic drugs with cancer stem cell targeting agents. Clinical trials are still underway to address the pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of combination treatment. This mini-review provides an updated discussion of these preclinical and clinical studies.
authors.affiliation: College of Science and Humanities, Husson University, 1 College Circle, Bangor, ME, 04401, USA. Electronic address: liy@husson.edu.
authors.forename: Yanyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Science and Humanities, Husson University, 1 College Circle, Bangor, ME, 04401, USA.
authors.forename: Katharine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Husson University, 1 College Circle, Bangor, ME, 04401, USA.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction
keywords: Cancer stem cells; Chemotherapy; Combination therapy