Editorial: Role of Cancer Stem Cells in Common Gastrointestinal Cancers: From Pathogenesis to Therapeutic Targets

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 426-426
Author(s):  
Yumin Li ◽  
Liang Qiao
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. e1144
Author(s):  
Niyati Sudhalkar ◽  
Nidul P. Rathod ◽  
Ashwathi Mathews ◽  
Supriya Chopra ◽  
Harshini Sriram ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Joleen M Hubbard ◽  
Axel Grothey ◽  
◽  

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of phenotypically distinct cancer cells that may play an important role in tumor pathogenesis. The gastrointestinal (GI) system provides a good example for investigation of the role of CSCs in tumor proliferation; GI CSCs are suitable for study due to their abundance, proliferative potential, and consistent structural arrangement that is maintained under tightly controlled signaling pathways. GI stem cells have a long lifespan and this, combined with their rapid turnover, may predispose them to forming CSCs. Alternative possible sources of GI CSCs include differentiated intestinal cells, bone marrow, and cancer cells. Therapies that specifically target CSCs present an exciting opportunity to treat patients with cancer. Enhanced understanding of CSC markers, such as CD133, CD44, and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), may facilitate development of therapies that target them. Among the stemness pathways that have been targeted are Wnt/β-catenin, STAT, Notch, and Nanog.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1674
Author(s):  
Sara Tomei ◽  
Ola Ibnaof ◽  
Shilpa Ravindran ◽  
Soldano Ferrone ◽  
Cristina Maccalli

Cancer cells endowed with stemness properties and representing a rare population of cells within malignant lesions have been isolated from tumors with different histological origins. These cells, denominated as cancer stem cells (CSCs) or cancer initiating cells (CICs), are responsible for tumor initiation, progression and resistance to therapies, including immunotherapy. The dynamic crosstalk of CSCs/CICs with the tumor microenvironment orchestrates their fate and plasticity as well as their immunogenicity. CSCs/CICs, as observed in multiple studies, display either the aberrant expression of immunomodulatory molecules or suboptimal levels of molecules involved in antigen processing and presentation, leading to immune evasion. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) that can regulate either stemness properties or their immunological profile, with in some cases dual functions, can provide insights into these mechanisms and possible interventions to develop novel therapeutic strategies targeting CSCs/CICs and reverting their immunogenicity. In this review, we provide an overview of the immunoregulatory features of CSCs/CICs including miRNA profiles involved in the regulation of the interplay between stemness and immunological properties.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1239
Author(s):  
Leila Jahangiri ◽  
Tala Ishola ◽  
Perla Pucci ◽  
Ricky M. Trigg ◽  
Joao Pereira ◽  
...  

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) possess properties such as self-renewal, resistance to apoptotic cues, quiescence, and DNA-damage repair capacity. Moreover, CSCs strongly influence the tumour microenvironment (TME) and may account for cancer progression, recurrence, and relapse. CSCs represent a distinct subpopulation in tumours and the detection, characterisation, and understanding of the regulatory landscape and cellular processes that govern their maintenance may pave the way to improving prognosis, selective targeted therapy, and therapy outcomes. In this review, we have discussed the characteristics of CSCs identified in various cancer types and the role of autophagy and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in maintaining the homeostasis of CSCs. Further, we have discussed methods to detect CSCs and strategies for treatment and relapse, taking into account the requirement to inhibit CSC growth and survival within the complex backdrop of cellular processes, microenvironmental interactions, and regulatory networks associated with cancer. Finally, we critique the computationally reinforced triangle of factors inclusive of CSC properties, the process of autophagy, and lncRNA and their associated networks with respect to hypoxia, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and signalling pathways.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe de Almeida Sassi ◽  
Algemir Lunardi Brunetto ◽  
Gilberto Schwartsmann ◽  
Rafael Roesler ◽  
Ana Lucia Abujamra

Gliomas are the most incident brain tumor in adults. This malignancy has very low survival rates, even when combining radio- and chemotherapy. Among the gliomas, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive type, and patients frequently relapse or become refractory to conventional therapies. The fact that such an aggressive tumor can arise in such a carefully orchestrated organ, where cellular proliferation is barely needed to maintain its function, is a question that has intrigued scientists until very recently, when the discovery of the existence of proliferative cells in the brain overcame such challenges. Even so, the precise origin of gliomas still remains elusive. Thanks to new advents in molecular biology, researchers have been able to depict the first steps of glioma formation and to accumulate knowledge about how neural stem cells and its progenitors become gliomas. Indeed, GBM are composed of a very heterogeneous population of cells, which exhibit a plethora of tumorigenic properties, supporting the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in these tumors. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of how gliomas initiate and progress, taking into account the role of epigenetic modulation in the crosstalk of cancer cells with their environment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1864 (11) ◽  
pp. 3605-3617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Xu ◽  
Siying Wang ◽  
Yongchao Wang ◽  
Huaxun Wu ◽  
Jacqueline A. Frank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. T177-T186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno M Simões ◽  
Denis G Alferez ◽  
Sacha J Howell ◽  
Robert B Clarke

Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are potent tumor-initiating cells in breast cancer, the most common cancer among women. BCSCs have been suggested to play a key role in tumor initiation which can lead to disease progression and formation of metastases. Moreover, BCSCs are thought to be the unit of selection for therapy-resistant clones since they survive conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy, irradiation, and hormonal therapy. The importance of the role of hormones for both normal mammary gland and breast cancer development is well established, but it was not until recently that the effects of hormones on BCSCs have been investigated. This review will discuss recent studies highlighting how ovarian steroid hormones estrogen and progesterone, as well as therapies against them, can regulate BCSC activity.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingli Yang ◽  
Thomas B. Davis B. Davis ◽  
Michael V. Nebozhyn ◽  
Andrey Loboda ◽  
Heiman Wang ◽  
...  

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