Apoptotic Death of Cancer Stem Cells for Cancer Therapy

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Ying-Chun He¹  Fang-Liang Zhou¹  Yi Shen²  Duan-Fang Liao¹ 

[1] Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application, College of Medicine, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China; E-Mails:;Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology, Simmons Cancer Institute, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, 913 N, Rutledge Street, Springfield, IL 62702, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: cancer stem cells;    side population;    apoptosis;    apoptotic inducers;    apoptotic death pathways;    and cancer therapy;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms15058335

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play crucial roles in tumor progression, chemo- and radiotherapy resistance, and recurrence. Recent studies on CSCs have advanced understanding of molecular oncology and development of novel therapeutic strategies. This review article updates the hypothesis and paradigm of CSCs with a focus on major signaling pathways and effectors that regulate CSC apoptosis. Selective CSC apoptotic inducers are introduced and their therapeutic potentials are discussed. These include synthetic and natural compounds, antibodies and recombinant proteins, and oligonucleotides.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland