Review

Implications of cancer stem cells in the treatment of cancer

University of California at Davis Cancer Center, 4501 X Street, Room 3016, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.

Email the corresponding author at cxpan@ucdavis.edu

Zhongshan Hospital, Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Fudan University, 136 Yixueyuan Road, Shanghai 200032, China.

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Email the corresponding author at zhuweimail@yahoo.com

Liang Cheng

† Author for correspondence

Indiana University School of Medicine, Departments of Pathology & Urology, 350 West 11th Street, CPL Room 4010, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.

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Email the corresponding author at lcheng@iupui.edu

Published Online:8 Dec 2006https://doi.org/10.2217/14796694.2.6.723

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Abstract

Identification of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in both hematological and solid malignancies suggests that CSCs may be a common phenomenon for most malignancies. Similarly to normal stem cells, CSCs can self-renew and differentiate into progeny cancer cells. Almost all current therapy against cancer targets differentiated cancer cells. CSCs are more resistant to therapy secondary to quiescence, increased expression of antiapoptotic proteins and drug efflux transporters. In this article, we review the current status of CSC research and propose the targeting of CSC cell-surface molecules, signal transduction pathways, the stem cell niche, stem cell differentiation and drug resistance.

Keywords:

Papers of special note have been highlighted as either of interest (•) or of considerable interest (••) to readers.

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