Therapies targeting cancer stem cells: Current trends and future challenges

摘要: Traditional therapies against cancer, chemo- and radiotherapy, have multiple limitations that lead to treatment failure cancer recurrence. These are related systemic local toxicity, while relapse due drug resistance self-renewal, properties of a small population tumor cells called stem (CSCs). involved in initiation, maintenance, metastasis Therefore, order develop efficient treatments can induce long-lasting clinical response preventing it is important drugs specifically target eliminate CSCs. Recent identification surface markers understanding molecular feature associated with CSC phenotype helped the design effective treatments. In this review we discuss targeting biomarkers, signaling pathways regulate CSCs self-renewal differentiation, drug-efflux pumps apoptosis resistance, microenvironmental signals sustain growth, manipulation miRNA expression, induction specific aim hamper regeneration relapse. Some these agents under evaluation preclinical studies, most them for using combination traditional therapies. The combined therapy conventional anticancer CSCs-targeting agents, may offer promising strategy management eradication different types cancers.