Stem cells in breast tumours: Are they ready for the clinic?

Application of Stem Cells in Targeted Therapy of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review

“…A previous immunohistochemical (IHC) study performed by Ginestier et al in a large series of breast cancer patients, demonstrated a correlation between ALDH1 expression and poor prognosis .Whether this is because of increased number or activity of breast CSCs remains unknown. Therefore, prior to application of IHC markers as alternative measures of breast CSC expression in clinical trials, they first need to be correlated with functional assays of CSC activity (Ablett et al, 2012 ). The clinical effectiveness of putative breast CSC markers such as ALDH1, CD44 and CD24 to identify and monitor breast CSCs using IHC is complicated due to heterogeneous nature of disease and the existence of different populations of breast CSCs within a single tumour .…”

“…Commonly used anti-cancer therapies can shrink primary and metastatic tumors, nevertheless such effects are usually transient and relapse of most metastatic cancers frequently occur (Reya et al, 2001), which are attributed to CSCs. There is sufficient evidence that CSCs are relatively chemo, radio and endocrine resistant, indicating that novel CSC-targeted therapies are required to achieves a true cure and elimination of cancer (Ablett et al, 2012;Reya et al, 2001). Standard therapies in combination with CSC-targeted therapies could provide effective treatment strategy by de-bulking the tumour mass and preventing recurrence (Chaffer et al, 2011;Gupta et al, 2011).There are several potential ways of targeting CSC including inhibition of self-renewal signaling pathways thus inducing differentiation or apoptosis, targeting resistance mechanisms or targeting the CSC niche that supports them.…”

“…Standard therapies in combination with CSC-targeted therapies could provide effective treatment strategy by de-bulking the tumour mass and preventing recurrence (Chaffer et al, 2011;Gupta et al, 2011).There are several potential ways of targeting CSC including inhibition of self-renewal signaling pathways thus inducing differentiation or apoptosis, targeting resistance mechanisms or targeting the CSC niche that supports them. Monoclonal antibodies raised against specific components of signaling pathways or cell surface antigens on CSCs have been used to target these cells specifically (Ablett et al, 2012). Another important therapeutic option could be development of specific anti-CSC drugs targeting specific markers and pathways (Orian-Rousseau, 2010).…”

“…No universal cell surface antigen, or combination of antigens, for the purification of breast CSCs by antibody techniques yet have been identified (Ablett et al, 2012). Many putative CSC markers are not merely restricted to CSCs, therefore the main goal in targeted therapy is specific destruction of CSCs while protecting normal cells (Deonarain et al, 2009).…”

Friend leukemia virus integration 1 is a predictor of poor prognosis of breast cancer and promotes metastasis and cancer stem cell properties of breast cancer cells

“…The colony‐forming assay indicated that the colony‐forming number significantly decreased in the shFLI‐1 1# group compared with that in the shNC group (Figure 4A). The levels of mammary stem cell markers, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) 29, 30, 31 and CD133,32, 33 were determined by Western blotting. The expression of ALDH1 and CD133 visibly downregulated in the shFLI‐1 group compared with that in the negative control group of the MDA‐MB231 cells.…”