Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Aramini, Beatrice
• Masciale, Valentina
• Grisendi, Giulia
• Bertolini, Federica
• Maur, Michela
• Guaitoli, Giorgia
• Chrystel, Isca
• Morandi, Uliano
• Stella, Franco
• Dominici, Massimo
• Haider, Khawaja Husnain

Titel

Dissecting Tumor Growth: The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in Drug Resistance and Recurrence

Ist Teil von

• Cancers, 2022-02, Vol.14 (4), p.976

Ort / Verlag

Switzerland: MDPI AG

Erscheinungsjahr

2022

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

EZB Electronic Journals Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Emerging evidence suggests that a small subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is responsible for initiation, progression, and metastasis cascade in tumors. CSCs share characteristics with normal stem cells, i.e., self-renewal and differentiation potential, suggesting that they can drive cancer progression. Consequently, targeting CSCs to prevent tumor growth or regrowth might offer a chance to lead the fight against cancer. CSCs create their niche, a specific area within tissue with a unique microenvironment that sustains their vital functions. Interactions between CSCs and their niches play a critical role in regulating CSCs' self-renewal and tumorigenesis. Differences observed in the frequency of CSCs, due to the phenotypic plasticity of many cancer cells, remain a challenge in cancer therapeutics, since CSCs can modulate their transcriptional activities into a more stem-like state to protect themselves from destruction. This plasticity represents an essential step for future therapeutic approaches. Regarding self-renewal, CSCs are modulated by the same molecular pathways found in normal stem cells, such as Wnt/β-catenin signaling, Notch signaling, and Hedgehog signaling. Another key characteristic of CSCs is their resistance to standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, due to their capacity to rest in a quiescent state. This review will analyze the primary mechanisms involved in CSC tumorigenesis, with particular attention to the roles of CSCs in tumor progression in benign and malignant diseases; and will examine future perspectives on the identification of new markers to better control tumorigenesis, as well as dissecting the metastasis process.