Simeone Diane M
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
Clin Cancer Res. 2008 Sep 15;14(18):5646-8. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-08-0584.
Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal disease that is usually diagnosed at a late stage for which there are few effective therapies. Emerging evidence has suggested that malignant tumors are quite heterogeneous and that they are composed of a small subset of distinct cancer cells (usually defined by cell surface marker expression) that are responsible for tumor initiation and propagation, termed cancer stem cells. These cells are termed cancer stem cells because, like normal stem cells, they possess the ability to self-renew and make differentiated progeny. Recent studies of human pancreatic cancers have shown a population of pancreatic cancer stem cells that have aberrantly activated developmental signaling pathways, are resistant to standard chemotherapy and radiation, and have up-regulated signaling cascades that are integral for tumor metastasis. An improved understanding of the biological behavior of these cells may lead to more effective therapies to treat pancreatic cancer. In this review, approaches to develop and test therapeutics targeting pancreatic cancer stem cells are discussed.
胰腺癌是一种高度致命的疾病，通常在晚期才被诊断出来，而针对晚期胰腺癌几乎没有有效的治疗方法。新出现的证据表明，恶性肿瘤具有高度异质性，由一小部分不同的癌细胞（通常根据细胞表面标志物表达来定义）组成，这些癌细胞负责肿瘤的起始和增殖，被称为癌症干细胞。这些细胞之所以被称为癌症干细胞，是因为它们与正常干细胞一样，具有自我更新和产生分化后代的能力。最近对人类胰腺癌的研究表明，存在一群胰腺癌干细胞，它们异常激活了发育信号通路，对标准化疗和放疗具有抗性，并且上调了对肿瘤转移至关重要的信号级联反应。对这些细胞生物学行为的更好理解可能会带来更有效的胰腺癌治疗方法。在这篇综述中，将讨论开发和测试针对胰腺癌干细胞的治疗方法。
