Tackling the cancer stem cells — what challenges do they pose?
Since their identification in 1994, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been objects of intensive study. Their properties and mechanisms of formation have become a major focus of current cancer research, in part because of their enhanced ability to initiate and drive tumour growth and their intrinsic resi...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Publishing Group
2018
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/116981 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0895-3557 |
| _version_ | 1826191821003292672 |
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| author | Pattabiraman, Diwakar R. Weinberg, Robert A |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology Pattabiraman, Diwakar R. Weinberg, Robert A |
| author_sort | Pattabiraman, Diwakar R. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Since their identification in 1994, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been objects of intensive study. Their properties and mechanisms of formation have become a major focus of current cancer research, in part because of their enhanced ability to initiate and drive tumour growth and their intrinsic resistance to conventional therapeutics. The discovery that activation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) programme in carcinoma cells can give rise to cells with stem-like properties has provided one possible mechanism explaining how CSCs arise and presents a possible avenue for their therapeutic manipulation. Here we address recent developments in CSC research, focusing on carcinomas that are able to undergo EMT. We discuss the signalling pathways that create these cells, cell-intrinsic mechanisms that could be exploited for selective elimination or induction of their differentiation, and the role of the tumour microenvironment in sustaining them. Finally, we propose ways to use our current knowledge of the complex biology of CSCs to design novel therapies to eliminate them. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T09:01:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/116981 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T09:01:48Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1169812022-09-30T12:57:11Z Tackling the cancer stem cells — what challenges do they pose? Pattabiraman, Diwakar R. Weinberg, Robert A Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Weinberg, Robert A Since their identification in 1994, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been objects of intensive study. Their properties and mechanisms of formation have become a major focus of current cancer research, in part because of their enhanced ability to initiate and drive tumour growth and their intrinsic resistance to conventional therapeutics. The discovery that activation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) programme in carcinoma cells can give rise to cells with stem-like properties has provided one possible mechanism explaining how CSCs arise and presents a possible avenue for their therapeutic manipulation. Here we address recent developments in CSC research, focusing on carcinomas that are able to undergo EMT. We discuss the signalling pathways that create these cells, cell-intrinsic mechanisms that could be exploited for selective elimination or induction of their differentiation, and the role of the tumour microenvironment in sustaining them. Finally, we propose ways to use our current knowledge of the complex biology of CSCs to design novel therapies to eliminate them. National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant U54-CA163109) United States. Army Research Office (Grant 1210095) 2018-07-13T16:35:51Z 2018-07-13T16:35:51Z 2014-07 2018-07-12T17:09:27Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1474-1776 1474-1784 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/116981 Pattabiraman, Diwakar R. and Robert A. Weinberg. “Tackling the Cancer Stem Cells — What Challenges Do They Pose?” Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 13, 7 (July 2014): 497–512 © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0895-3557 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/NRD4253 Nature Reviews Drug Discovery Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ application/pdf Nature Publishing Group PMC |
| spellingShingle | Pattabiraman, Diwakar R. Weinberg, Robert A Tackling the cancer stem cells — what challenges do they pose? |
| title | Tackling the cancer stem cells — what challenges do they pose? |
| title_full | Tackling the cancer stem cells — what challenges do they pose? |
| title_fullStr | Tackling the cancer stem cells — what challenges do they pose? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tackling the cancer stem cells — what challenges do they pose? |
| title_short | Tackling the cancer stem cells — what challenges do they pose? |
| title_sort | tackling the cancer stem cells what challenges do they pose |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/116981 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0895-3557 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pattabiramandiwakarr tacklingthecancerstemcellswhatchallengesdotheypose AT weinbergroberta tacklingthecancerstemcellswhatchallengesdotheypose |