Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Human Genetics Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, USA.
Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2011 Apr;89(4):491-502. doi: 10.1038/clpt.2011.14. Epub 2011 Mar 2.
Stem cells possess the dual properties of self-renewal and pluripotency. Self-renewal affords these populations the luxury of self-propagation, whereas pluripotency allows them to produce the multitude of cell types found in the body. Protection of the stem cell population from damage or death is critical because these cells need to remain intact throughout the life of an organism. The principal mechanism of protection is through expression of multifunctional efflux transporters--the adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporters that are the "guardians" of the stem cell population. Ironically, it has been shown that these ABC efflux pumps also afford protection to cancer stem cells (CSCs), shielding them from the adverse effects of chemotherapeutic insult. It is therefore imperative to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the resistance of stem cells to chemotherapy, which could lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets and improvement of current anticancer strategies.
干细胞具有自我更新和多能性的双重特性。自我更新使这些细胞群体能够自我繁殖，而多能性则使它们能够产生体内存在的多种细胞类型。保护干细胞群体免受损伤或死亡至关重要，因为这些细胞需要在生物体的整个生命周期内保持完整。主要的保护机制是通过表达多功能外排转运体——三磷酸腺苷结合盒（ABC）转运体，它们是干细胞群体的“守护者”。具有讽刺意味的是，已经表明这些 ABC 外排泵也为癌症干细胞 (CSC) 提供了保护，使其免受化疗损伤的不利影响。因此，迫切需要更好地了解干细胞对化疗的耐药机制，这可能导致发现新的治疗靶点和改进现有的抗癌策略。
