Identification, Culture and Targeting of Cancer Stem Cells

Abstract

Chemoresistance, tumor progression, and metastasis are features that are frequently seen in cancer that have been associated with cancer stem cells (CSCs). These cells are a promising target in the future of cancer therapy but remain largely unknown. Deregulation of pathways that govern stemness in non-tumorigenic stem cells (SCs), such as Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog pathways, has been described in CSC pathogenesis, but it is necessary to conduct further studies to discover potential new therapeutic targets. In addition, some markers for the identification and characterization of CSCs have been suggested, but the search for specific CSC markers in many cancer types is still under development. In addition, methods for CSC cultivation are also under development, with great heterogeneity existing in the protocols used. This review focuses on the most recent aspects of the identification, characterization, cultivation, and targeting of human CSCs, highlighting the advances achieved in the clinical implementation of therapies targeting CSCs and remarking those potential areas where more research is still required.

Metastasis and MAPK Pathways

“…Furthermore, cancer cells reprogram their metabolism to survive in the harsh conditions that they experience during metastatic processes. The understanding of the mechanisms that underlie metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells may aid the identification of anticancer targets [ 241 , 242 ]. Despite the emergence of novel small-molecule inhibitors that target critical components of the aforementioned signaling pathways, only a small fraction has been tested in clinical settings due to their non-specific toxicity and solubility difficulties that limit their practical application.…”

Tissue-specific cancer stem/progenitor cells: Therapeutic implications

“…The conception of CSCs-targeted therapies relies on employing the above-mentioned CSCs' resistant characteristics and markers, which allows for CSCs' isolation, enrichment, characterization, and targeting[ 118 ]. CSCs-based therapeutic strategies include selectively targeting the stemness markers, such as the TSCSCs' surface markers, TFs, ABC transporters, and ALDHs[ 14 , 119 ].…”

Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs), Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) and Their Interplay with Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs): A New World of Targets and Treatments

“…One of the most widely discussed aspects of these subpopulations of cells is our capacity to identify specific markers, which has not yet been completely achieved by the scientific community due to difficulty with isolating markers for certain cancer cell populations [23]. So far, the markers commonly used to identify them are not specific to these subpopulations of cells but are markers associated with stem cells in general, such as superficial antigens such as CD133, CD44 and CD90, or intracellular enzymes such as aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) [26][27][28].…”