Targetingcancerstemcellsintheclinic:CurrentstatusandperspectivesStephanieAnnett,TracyRobson⁎MolecularandCellularTherapeutics,RoyalCollegeofSurgeonsIreland,IrelandabstractarticleinfoAvailableonline5February2018Resistancetochemotherapyandcancerrelapsearemajorclinicalchallengesattributedtoasubpopulationofcancerstemcells(CSCs).TheconceptofCSCshasbeenthesubjectofintenseresearchbytheoncologycommu-nitysinceevidencefortheirexistencewasfirstpublishedovertwentyyearsago.Emergingdataindicatesthattheyarealsoabletoevadenoveltherapiessuchastargetedagents,immunotherapiesandanti-angiogenics.TheinabilitytoappropriatelyidentifyandisolateCSCsisamajorhindrancetothefieldandnoveltechnologiesarenowbeingutilized.AgentsthattargetCSC-associatedcellsurfacereceptorsandsignalingpathwayshavegeneratedpromisingpre-clinicalresultsandarenowenteringclinicaltrial.HerewediscussandevaluatecurrenttherapeuticstrategiestotargetCSCs.©2018ElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved.Keywords:CancerstemcellsClinicaltrialTumorinitiatingcellsCancerrelapseTargetedtherapyPersonalizedmedicineContents1.Timelineofthecancerstemcelltheory..................................132.Characteristicsofcancerstemcells....................................153.Isolationandidentificationofcancerstemcells...............................154.Signalingpathwaysregulatingstemness..................................155.Thetumormicroenvironmentandcancerstemcellniche..........................156.Angiogenesisandcancerstemcells....................................167.Cancerstemcellsandresistancetotherapy.................................188.Currentapproachestotargetingcancerstemcells..............................199.Summaryandperspectives........................................19Conflictofinterest..............................................19Acknowledgments..............................................19References..................................................191.TimelineofthecancerstemcelltheoryInthelateeightiesgeneticchangesinthecellsofthecolonicmucosad...
