Ye Jun, Wu Dang, Wu Pin, Chen Zhigang, Huang Jian
Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
Tumour Biol. 2014 May;35(5):3945-51. doi: 10.1007/s13277-013-1561-x. Epub 2014 Jan 14.
Despite recent progresses in tumor therapy and increased knowledge in tumor biology, tumor remains a common and lethal disease worldwide. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subset of cancer cells with a stem cell-like ability, which may drive tumor growth and recurrence and are resistant to many current anticancer treatments. Solid tumors are regarded as "organs" which are comprised of cancer cells and the tumor stroma. The tumor microenvironment makes up the stroma of the tumor, which occupies the majority of the tumor mass, including the extracellular matrix (ECM), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), endothelial cells, immune cells, and, what is more, networks of cytokines and growth factors. The microenvironment or niche surrounding CSCs largely governs their cellular fate. Recent work has revealed that the microenvironment supports CSC self-renewal and simultaneously serves as a physical barrier to drug delivery. The tumor microenvironment plays pivotal roles in each stage of tumor development. Knowledge about the interactions of CSCs with their microenvironment would seem to be of most importance for developing new treatment strategies.
尽管肿瘤治疗最近取得了进展，并且人们对肿瘤生物学的了解有所增加，但肿瘤在全球范围内仍然是一种常见且致命的疾病。癌症干细胞（CSCs）是具有干细胞样能力的癌细胞亚群，它们可能驱动肿瘤生长和复发，并且对许多当前的抗癌治疗具有抗性。实体瘤被视为由癌细胞和肿瘤基质组成的“器官”。肿瘤微环境构成了肿瘤的基质，它占据了肿瘤质量的大部分，包括细胞外基质（ECM）、间充质干细胞（MSCs）、内皮细胞、免疫细胞，更重要的是细胞因子和生长因子网络。CSCs周围的微环境或生态位在很大程度上决定了它们的细胞命运。最近的研究表明，微环境支持CSC自我更新，同时作为药物递送的物理屏障。肿瘤微环境在肿瘤发展的每个阶段都起着关键作用。了解CSCs与其微环境之间的相互作用对于开发新的治疗策略似乎最为重要。
