Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ghader Babaei, Shiva Gholizadeh-Ghaleh Aziz, Nasrin Zare Zavieyh Jaghi
Summary: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are major factors contributing to cancer cell metastasis. Autophagy has recently gained attention, playing a dual role in cancer cell development depending on cancer type, tissue, and stage. Studies show different signaling pathways are involved in cancer stem cells, autophagy, and EMT. Investigating effective signaling pathways in all three processes could help determine appropriate therapeutic goals.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marina Ibragimova, Matvey Tsyganov, Nikolai Litviakov
Summary: This review discusses the main mechanisms of CSCs in breast cancer, including markers and signaling pathways, heterogeneity, plasticity, and ecological behavior. The study also considers the significance of dynamic heterogeneity of CSCs and dynamic transitions between CSCs and non-CSCs for metastasis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ghader Babaei, Mehdi Asghari Vostakolaei, Masoumeh Rajabi Bazl, Shiva Gholizadeh-Ghaleh Aziz, Elham Gholipour, Kazem Nejati-Koshki
Summary: Exosomes play fundamental roles in cell-cell communications and are associated with cancer metastasis by modulating EMT and CSCs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hai Liu, Hai Qin, Yi Zhou, Yin Yuan, Yichen Liu, Ying Chen, Yue Yang, Haiwei Ni, Tao Xi, Lufeng Zheng
Summary: HET0016 can attenuate the stemness of breast cancer cells by targeting CYP4Z1, reducing the expression of CSC markers and stem cell functions, as well as suppressing tumor-initiating and metastatic abilities.
MOLECULAR CARCINOGENESIS
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Beatrice Aramini, Valentina Masciale, Giulia Grisendi, Federica Bertolini, Michela Maur, Giorgia Guaitoli, Isca Chrystel, Uliano Morandi, Franco Stella, Massimo Dominici, Khawaja Husnain Haider
Summary: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a crucial role in tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. They share characteristics with normal stem cells, such as self-renewal and differentiation potential. CSCs establish their niche, a unique microenvironment within the tissue, which sustains their functions. The interactions between CSCs and their niches regulate their self-renewal and tumorigenesis. Understanding the primary mechanisms involved in CSC tumorigenesis is essential for developing targeted therapies. Moreover, CSCs' resistance to standard treatments and their phenotypic plasticity pose challenges in cancer therapeutics.
Article
Cell Biology
Mingming Wu, Xiao Zhang, Weijie Zhang, Linlin Yan, Xiangtian Liu, Min Zhang, Yueyin Pan, Peter E. Lobie, Xinghua Han, Tao Zhu
Summary: Breast tumors are composed of heterogeneous cellular subpopulations. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have crucial roles in therapy resistance and metastasis. However, the mechanisms by which CSCs determine the progression of bulk cancer cells are still unclear.
CELL COMMUNICATION AND SIGNALING
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Rui Li, Xuefei Liu, Xudong Huang, Di Zhang, Ziming Chen, Jialiang Zhang, Ruihong Bai, Shaoping Zhang, Hongzhe Zhao, Zilan Xu, Lingxing Zeng, Lisha Zhuang, Shujuan Wen, Shaojia Wu, Mei Li, Zhixiang Zuo, Junzhong Lin, Dongxin Lin, Jian Zheng
Summary: We uncover a mechanism for organ-specific colorectal cancer metastasis, demonstrating that stem-like cells metastasize from primary colorectal cancer to the ovary through the interaction with cancer-associated fibroblasts and endothelial cells via the DLL4-NOTCH signaling pathway. In the ovarian microenvironment, myofibroblasts provide cancer cells with glutamine and perform metabolic reprogramming, which may be essential for cancer cells to localize and develop in the ovary.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alex Cordero, Matthew D. Ramsey, Deepak Kanojia, Jawad Fares, Edgar Petrosyan, Charles W. Schwartz, Rachel Burga, Peng Zhang, Aida Rashidi, Brandyn Castro, Ting Xiao, Catalina Lee-Chang, Jason Miska, Irina Balyasnikova, Atique U. Ahmed, Maciej S. Lesniak
Summary: This study engineered neural stem cells to secrete antibodies against HER2, inhibiting the progression of breast cancer brain metastases. The combination therapy with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor tucatinib showed promising results in animal models.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Vanessa Castelli, Antonio Giordano, Elisabetta Benedetti, Francesco Giansanti, Massimiliano Quintiliani, Annamaria Cimini, Michele D'Angelo
Summary: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a crucial role in tumor formation, progression, and recurrence, highlighting the importance of developing therapeutic approaches targeting CSCs selectively and inducing programmed cell death.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Teng Wang, Jiaojiao Tao, Bingjie Wang, Tianze Jiang, Xia Zhao, Yang Yu, Xin Meng
Summary: This study develops a novel strategy for preventing tumor recurrence and metastasis by combining the inhibition of DNA damage repair, reversing CSC resistance, and enhancing photodynamic therapy.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Genevieve M. M. Abd, Madison C. C. Laird, Jennifer C. C. Ku, Yong Li
Summary: Cancer stem cells are a subset of cells within tumors that can self-renew and differentiate into different cancer cell types. It is believed that they may originate from normal stem cells that have undergone genetic mutations or epigenetic changes. Recent research has also shown that cancer cells can dedifferentiate into stem-like cells. Understanding the mechanisms behind these cells' formation is crucial for the development of new strategies in cancer treatment and therapies.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Junyi Pan, Yueguang Xue, Shilin Li, Liuxiang Wang, Jie Mei, Dongqi Ni, Jipeng Jiang, Meng Zhang, Shaoqiong Yi, Rong Zhang, Yongfu Ma, Yang Liu, Ying Liu
Summary: This study focuses on the impact of PM2.5 on lung adenocarcinoma and finds that chronic exposure to PM2.5 promotes tumor occurrence and metastasis, with more severe effects in Shijiazhuang. The underlying mechanisms involve the stem cell properties of cancer cells, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process, and related miRNAs.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Lin He, Neda Wick, Sharon Koorse Germans, Yan Peng
Summary: Triple negative breast cancer lacks targeted therapies and has poor prognosis. Chemotherapy is the main treatment, but recent advances have shown the importance of breast cancer stem cells in tumor initiation, metastasis, and chemoresistance. Targeting breast cancer stem cells may lead to new therapies that can improve patient survival rates.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Larischa de Wet, Anthony Williams, Marc Gillard, Steven Kregel, Sophia Lamperis, Lisa C. Gutgesell, Jordan E. Vellky, Ryan Brown, Kelly Conger, Gladell P. Paner, Heng Wang, Elizabeth E. Platz, Angelo M. De Marzo, Ping Mu, Jonathan L. Coloff, Russell Z. Szmulewitz, Donald J. Vander Griend
Summary: This study investigated the impact of SOX2 expression on patient outcomes and its function within prostate cancer cells. The results revealed that SOX2 expression promotes metastatic progression and therapy resistance in prostate cancer, and affects the metabolic pathways and metabolites of cancer cells. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of SOX2 in prostate cancer and suggest its potential as a biomarker and pharmacologic target in clinical settings.
Article
Cell Biology
Linglong Peng, Yongfu Xiong, Rong Wang, Ling Xiang, He Zhou, Zhongxue Fu
Summary: PRDX2 is highly expressed in colon cancer stem cells (CCSCs) and its overexpression is closely correlated with stemness maintenance, tumor initiation, and invasion of CCSCs. Inhibition of PRDX2 leads to increased ROS production in CCSCs, sensitizing them to oxidative stress and chemotherapy. These findings suggest that PRDX2 could be a potential therapeutic target in CCSCs.
