Research Center for Translational Medicine, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China.
Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2012 Dec;44(12):2144-51. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2012.08.022. Epub 2012 Sep 2.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of cells within tumors with capabilities of self-renewal, differentiation, and tumorigenicity when transplanted into an animal host. A number of cell surface markers such as CD44, CD24, and CD133 are often used to identify and enrich CSCs. A regulatory network consisting of microRNAs and Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, and Hedgehog signaling pathways controls CSC properties. The clinical relevance of CSCs has been strengthened by emerging evidence, demonstrating that CSCs are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatment and that CSCs are very likely to be the origin of cancer metastasis. CSCs are believed to be an important target for novel anti-cancer drug discovery. Herein we summarize the current understanding of CSCs, with a focus on the role of miRNA and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and discuss the clinical application of targeting CSCs for cancer treatment.
肿瘤干细胞（CSC）是肿瘤内一小部分具有自我更新、分化和致瘤性的细胞，当移植到动物宿主中时。许多细胞表面标志物，如 CD44、CD24 和 CD133，常用于识别和富集 CSC。一个由 microRNAs 和 Wnt/β-catenin、Notch 和 Hedgehog 信号通路组成的调控网络控制着 CSC 的特性。越来越多的证据表明 CSC 对传统化疗和放疗具有抗性，并且 CSC 很可能是癌症转移的起源，这加强了 CSC 的临床相关性。CSC 被认为是新型抗癌药物发现的一个重要靶点。本文总结了对 CSC 的现有认识，重点讨论了 miRNA 和上皮-间充质转化（EMT）的作用，并讨论了针对 CSC 治疗癌症的临床应用。
