Potential Molecular Therapeutic Targets in Cancer Stem/Progenitor Cells: Are ATP-Binding Cassette Membrane Transporters Appropriate Targets to Eliminate Cancer-Initiating Cells?

摘要: Recent advances in the basic and clinical oncology have revealed that malignant transformation of tissue-resident adult stem/progenitor cells into leukemic or tumorigenic cancer plays a central role etiopathogenesis progression most human cancers. Cancer endowed with high self-renewal capacity aberrant differentiation potential generally possess expression levels activity diverse ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, DNA repair detoxifying enzymes anti-apoptotic factors. These phenotypic functional features common to been associated their intrinsic acquired resistance phenotype numerous chemotherapeutic drugs, disease recurrence poor patient survival. Moreover, sustained activation distinct oncogenic signaling elements these immature cancer-initiating during may also contribute acquisition more behavior development metastatic state. Of particular interest, we describe therapeutic targets eradicate mature progenies variety aggressive cancers such as leukemias, melanoma solid tumors including brain epithelial The emphasis is on molecular ABC drug ceramide, telomerase, elements.