Laboratory of Innate Immunity, Unit of Molecular Pathology, Biochemistry and Immunology, IRCCS MultiMedica, 20138 Milan, Italy.
Immunology and General Pathology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Mar 5;24(5):4997. doi: 10.3390/ijms24054997.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have drawn much attention as important tumour-initiating cells that may also be crucial for recurrence after chemotherapy. Although the activity of CSCs in various forms of cancer is complex and yet to be fully elucidated, opportunities for therapies targeting CSCs exist. CSCs are molecularly distinct from bulk tumour cells, so they can be targeted by exploiting their signature molecular pathways. Inhibiting stemness has the potential to reduce the risk posed by CSCs by limiting or eliminating their capacity for tumorigenesis, proliferation, metastasis, and recurrence. Here, we briefly described the role of CSCs in tumour biology, the mechanisms involved in CSC therapy resistance, and the role of the gut microbiota in cancer development and treatment, to then review and discuss the current advances in the discovery of microbiota-derived natural compounds targeting CSCs. Collectively, our overview suggests that dietary intervention, toward the production of those identified microbial metabolites capable of suppressing CSC properties, is a promising approach to support standard chemotherapy.
癌症干细胞(CSCs)作为重要的肿瘤起始细胞引起了广泛关注,它们可能也是化疗后复发的关键因素。虽然 CSCs 在各种形式的癌症中的活性非常复杂,尚未完全阐明,但针对 CSCs 的治疗机会确实存在。CSCs 在分子上与肿瘤细胞群体不同,因此可以通过利用其特征性的分子途径来靶向 CSCs。抑制干性有可能通过限制或消除其致瘤性、增殖、转移和复发的能力来降低 CSCs 带来的风险。在这里,我们简要描述了 CSCs 在肿瘤生物学中的作用、CSC 治疗耐药性涉及的机制,以及肠道微生物群在癌症发生和治疗中的作用,然后回顾和讨论了目前在发现针对 CSCs 的微生物衍生天然化合物方面的进展。总的来说,我们的综述表明,饮食干预,针对产生那些被鉴定为能够抑制 CSC 特性的微生物代谢产物,是一种有前途的方法,可以支持标准化疗。