Cancer Science & Therapy

Cancer Stem Cells - Therapeutic Boon!

Abstract

Shrihari TG

Cancer stem cells (CSC) are recently proposed to be the cancer initiating cells responsible for tumorigenesis and contribute to cancer resistance. Like normal stem cells, cancer stem cells should be rare, quiescent and capable of self renewing & maintaining tumor growth and heterogeneity. Although the concept of cancer stem cells originates from that of normal stem cells, cancer stem cells are not necessarily aberrant counterparts of normal stem cells. In fact, they may arise from stem cells or committed progenitors of corresponding tissues & even cells from other tissues. At the molecular level, the alteration of stem cell self-renewal pathways has been recognized as an essential step for cancer stem cells transformation. Better understanding of cancer stem cell will no doubt lead to new era of both basic & clinical research, reclassification of human tumors & development of novel therapeutic strategies specifically targeting cancer stem cells.