Breast Cancer Stem Cells as Drivers of Tumor Chemoresistance, Dormancy and Relapse: New Challenges and Therapeutic Opportunities
Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women worldwide. Therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat metastatic disease are still inadequate although great progress has been made in treating early-stage breast cancer. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) that are endowed with high plasticity and sel...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Cancers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/11/10/1569 |
| _version_ | 1797712028888989696 |
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| author | Maria Laura De Angelis Federica Francescangeli Ann Zeuner |
| author_facet | Maria Laura De Angelis Federica Francescangeli Ann Zeuner |
| author_sort | Maria Laura De Angelis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women worldwide. Therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat metastatic disease are still inadequate although great progress has been made in treating early-stage breast cancer. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) that are endowed with high plasticity and self-renewal properties have been shown to play a key role in breast cancer development, progression, and metastasis. A subpopulation of CSCs that combines tumor-initiating capacity and a dormant/quiescent/slow cycling status is present throughout the clinical history of breast cancer patients. Dormant/quiescent/slow cycling CSCs are a key component of tumor heterogeneity and they are responsible for chemoresistance, tumor migration, and metastatic dormancy, defined as the ability of CSCs to survive in target organs and generate metastasis up to two decades after diagnosis. Understanding the strategies that are used by CSCs to resist conventional and targeted therapies, to interact with their niche, to escape immune surveillance, and finally to awaken from dormancy is of key importance to prevent and treat metastatic cancer. This review summarizes the current understanding of mechanisms involved in CSCs chemoresistance, dissemination, and metastasis in breast cancer, with a particular focus on dormant cells. Finally, we discuss how advancements in the detection, molecular understanding, and targeting of dormant CSCs will likely open new therapeutic avenues for breast cancer treatment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:15:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ef497369ef194ab9b1faeb3fe05da3eb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6694 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:15:45Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cancers |
| spelling | doaj.art-ef497369ef194ab9b1faeb3fe05da3eb2023-09-02T22:50:20ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942019-10-011110156910.3390/cancers11101569cancers11101569Breast Cancer Stem Cells as Drivers of Tumor Chemoresistance, Dormancy and Relapse: New Challenges and Therapeutic OpportunitiesMaria Laura De Angelis0Federica Francescangeli1Ann Zeuner2Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, ItalyBreast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women worldwide. Therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat metastatic disease are still inadequate although great progress has been made in treating early-stage breast cancer. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) that are endowed with high plasticity and self-renewal properties have been shown to play a key role in breast cancer development, progression, and metastasis. A subpopulation of CSCs that combines tumor-initiating capacity and a dormant/quiescent/slow cycling status is present throughout the clinical history of breast cancer patients. Dormant/quiescent/slow cycling CSCs are a key component of tumor heterogeneity and they are responsible for chemoresistance, tumor migration, and metastatic dormancy, defined as the ability of CSCs to survive in target organs and generate metastasis up to two decades after diagnosis. Understanding the strategies that are used by CSCs to resist conventional and targeted therapies, to interact with their niche, to escape immune surveillance, and finally to awaken from dormancy is of key importance to prevent and treat metastatic cancer. This review summarizes the current understanding of mechanisms involved in CSCs chemoresistance, dissemination, and metastasis in breast cancer, with a particular focus on dormant cells. Finally, we discuss how advancements in the detection, molecular understanding, and targeting of dormant CSCs will likely open new therapeutic avenues for breast cancer treatment.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/11/10/1569breast cancerbreast cancer stem cellstumor dormancyquiescencedrug resistanceplasticitytumor heterogeneitymetastasistargeted therapies |
| spellingShingle | Maria Laura De Angelis Federica Francescangeli Ann Zeuner Breast Cancer Stem Cells as Drivers of Tumor Chemoresistance, Dormancy and Relapse: New Challenges and Therapeutic Opportunities Cancers breast cancer breast cancer stem cells tumor dormancy quiescence drug resistance plasticity tumor heterogeneity metastasis targeted therapies |
| title | Breast Cancer Stem Cells as Drivers of Tumor Chemoresistance, Dormancy and Relapse: New Challenges and Therapeutic Opportunities |
| title_full | Breast Cancer Stem Cells as Drivers of Tumor Chemoresistance, Dormancy and Relapse: New Challenges and Therapeutic Opportunities |
| title_fullStr | Breast Cancer Stem Cells as Drivers of Tumor Chemoresistance, Dormancy and Relapse: New Challenges and Therapeutic Opportunities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Breast Cancer Stem Cells as Drivers of Tumor Chemoresistance, Dormancy and Relapse: New Challenges and Therapeutic Opportunities |
| title_short | Breast Cancer Stem Cells as Drivers of Tumor Chemoresistance, Dormancy and Relapse: New Challenges and Therapeutic Opportunities |
| title_sort | breast cancer stem cells as drivers of tumor chemoresistance dormancy and relapse new challenges and therapeutic opportunities |
| topic | breast cancer breast cancer stem cells tumor dormancy quiescence drug resistance plasticity tumor heterogeneity metastasis targeted therapies |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/11/10/1569 |
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