scholarly journals Targeting Cancer Stem Cells and Their Niche: Current Therapeutic Implications and Challenges in Pancreatic Cancer

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiangang Zhao ◽  
Jiahui Li ◽  
Hans A. Schlößer ◽  
Felix Popp ◽  
Marie Christine Popp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Hematological Malignancies ◽  
Cancer Immunoediting ◽  
Therapeutic Implications ◽  
Novel Treatment ◽  
Cancer Initiation ◽  
Resistance To Chemotherapy

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified as a subpopulation of stem-like cancer cells with the ability of self-renewal and differentiation in hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers worldwide. CSCs are thought to be responsible for cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, chemoresistance, and recurrence in pancreatic cancer. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of pancreatic CSCs and discuss the mechanisms involved in resistance to chemotherapy, the interactions with the niche, and the potential role in cancer immunoediting. We propose that immunotherapy targeting pancreatic CSCs, in combination with targeting the niche components, may provide a novel treatment strategy to eradicate pancreatic CSCs and hence improve outcomes in pancreatic cancer.

Chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer – potential role of cancer stem cells

2010 ◽  
Vol 48 (08) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Renner ◽  
Y Zhao ◽  
I Ischenko ◽  
P Camaj ◽  
JW Ellwart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Chemotherapy Resistance

scholarly journals Cancer Stem Cells and Targeting Strategies

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Barbato ◽  
Marco Bocchetti ◽  
Anna Di Biase ◽  
Tarik Regad
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Cancer Initiation ◽  
Enzymatic Inactivation ◽  
Resistance To Chemotherapy ◽  
Made In

Chemoresistance is a major problem in cancer therapy as cancer cells develop mechanisms that counteract the effect of chemotherapeutic compounds, leading to relapse and the development of more aggressive cancers that contribute to poor prognosis and survival rates of treated patients. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a key role in this event. Apart from their slow proliferative property, CSCs have developed a range of cellular processes that involve drug efflux, drug enzymatic inactivation and other mechanisms. In addition, the microenvironment where CSCs evolve (CSC niche), effectively contributes to their role in cancer initiation, progression and chemoresistance. In the CSC niche, immune cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), endothelial cells and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) contribute to the maintenance of CSC malignancy via the secretion of factors that promote cancer progression and resistance to chemotherapy. Due to these factors that hinder successful cancer therapies, CSCs are a subject of intense research that aims at better understanding of CSC behaviour and at developing efficient targeting therapies. In this review, we provide an overview of cancer stem cells, their role in cancer initiation, progression and chemoresistance, and discuss the progress that has been made in the development of CSC targeted therapies.

scholarly journals Markers of pancreatic cancer stem cells and their clinical and therapeutic implications

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 6629-6645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arkadiusz Gzil ◽  
Izabela Zarębska ◽  
Wiktor Bursiewicz ◽  
Paulina Antosik ◽  
Dariusz Grzanka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Therapeutic Implications ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells

scholarly journals PIK3C3 Inhibition Promotes Sensitivity to Colon Cancer Therapy by Inhibiting Cancer Stem Cells

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2168
Author(s):  
Balawant Kumar ◽  
Rizwan Ahmad ◽  
Swagat Sharma ◽  
Saiprasad Gowrikumar ◽  
Mark Primeaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Colon Cancer ◽  
Cancer Therapy ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Side Population ◽  
Therapy Resistance ◽  
Fluorescent Reporter ◽  
Combination Treatments ◽  
Gsk 3Β ◽  
Resistance To Chemotherapy

Background: Despite recent advances in therapies, resistance to chemotherapy remains a critical problem in the clinical management of colorectal cancer (CRC). Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a central role in therapy resistance. Thus, elimination of CSCs is crucial for effective CRC therapy; however, such strategies are limited. Autophagy promotes resistance to cancer therapy; however, whether autophagy protects CSCs to promote resistance to CRC-therapy is not well understood. Moreover, specific and potent autophagy inhibitors are warranted as clinical trials with hydroxychloroquine have not been successful. Methods: Colon cancer cells and tumoroids were used. Fluorescent reporter-based analysis of autophagy flux, spheroid and side population (SP) culture, and qPCR were done. We synthesized 36-077, a potent inhibitor of PIK3C3/VPS34 kinase, to inhibit autophagy. Combination treatments were done using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and 36-077. Results: The 5-FU treatment induced autophagy only in a subset of the treated colon cancer. These autophagy-enriched cells also showed increased expression of CSC markers. Co-treatment with 36-077 significantly improved efficacy of the 5-FU treatment. Mechanistic studies revealed that combination therapy inhibited GSK-3β/Wnt/β-catenin signaling to inhibit CSC population. Conclusion: Autophagy promotes resistance to CRC-therapy by specifically promoting GSK-3β/Wnt/β-catenin signaling to promote CSC survival, and 36-077, a PIK3C3/VPS34 inhibitor, helps promote efficacy of CRC therapy.

scholarly journals Integrated lipidomics and proteomics reveal cardiolipin alterations, upregulation of HADHA and long chain fatty acids in pancreatic cancer stem cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Di Carlo ◽  
Bebiana C. Sousa ◽  
Marcello Manfredi ◽  
Jessica Brandi ◽  
Elisa Dalla Pozza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Acyl Chain ◽  
Fatty Acid Elongase ◽  
Acyl Chains ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Long Chain

AbstractPancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs) play a key role in the aggressiveness of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC); however, little is known about their signaling and metabolic pathways. Here we show that PCSCs have specific and common proteome and lipidome modulations. PCSCs displayed downregulation of lactate dehydrogenase A chain, and upregulation of trifunctional enzyme subunit alpha. The upregulated proteins of PCSCs are mainly involved in fatty acid (FA) elongation and biosynthesis of unsaturated FAs. Accordingly, lipidomics reveals an increase in long and very long-chain unsaturated FAs, which are products of fatty acid elongase-5 predicted as a key gene. Moreover, lipidomics showed the induction in PCSCs of molecular species of cardiolipin with mixed incorporation of 16:0, 18:1, and 18:2 acyl chains. Our data indicate a crucial role of FA elongation and alteration in cardiolipin acyl chain composition in PCSCs, representing attractive therapeutic targets in PDAC.

scholarly journals The plasticity of pancreatic cancer stem cells: implications in therapeutic resistance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalyani Patil ◽  
Farheen B. Khan ◽  
Sabah Akhtar ◽  
Aamir Ahmad ◽  
Shahab Uddin
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Disease Recurrence ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Cytotoxic Agents ◽  
Plastic State ◽  
Metastatic Progression ◽  
Acquired Drug Resistance ◽  
Natural Agents

AbstractThe ever-growing perception of cancer stem cells (CSCs) as a plastic state rather than a hardwired defined entity has evolved our understanding of the functional and biological plasticity of these elusive components in malignancies. Pancreatic cancer (PC), based on its biological features and clinical evolution, is a prototypical example of a CSC-driven disease. Since the discovery of pancreatic CSCs (PCSCs) in 2007, evidence has unraveled their control over many facets of the natural history of PC, including primary tumor growth, metastatic progression, disease recurrence, and acquired drug resistance. Consequently, the current near-ubiquitous treatment regimens for PC using aggressive cytotoxic agents, aimed at ‘‘tumor debulking’’ rather than eradication of CSCs, have proven ineffective in providing clinically convincing improvements in patients with this dreadful disease. Herein, we review the key hallmarks as well as the intrinsic and extrinsic resistance mechanisms of CSCs that mediate treatment failure in PC and enlist the potential CSC-targeting ‘natural agents’ that are gaining popularity in recent years. A better understanding of the molecular and functional landscape of PCSC-intrinsic evasion of chemotherapeutic drugs offers a facile opportunity for treating PC, an intractable cancer with a grim prognosis and in dire need of effective therapeutic advances.

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