If we can find ways to identify the cancer stem cells, then we could develop novel therapies to fight the disease. Cancer stem cells are the source of all tumor cells, including those resistant to chemotherapeutic agents. Moreover, they are responsible for the development of distant metastases and are therefore highly important for the treatment of cancer. Further research is required to discover their exact role in the cancer process. But it is clear that this field is undergoing tremendous changes.
While most cancers are curable if they are diagnosed early, doctors are having difficulty treating advanced cancers. For example, pancreatic cancer has a dismal survival rate, and head and neck cancers are highly resistant to current therapies. Furthermore, most of the current treatments for cancer work by forcing cancer cells to die. However, some cancer stem cells remain in the body and may recur despite the treatment. To overcome this problem, researchers have been working to find treatments that target cancer stem cells.
Although scientists are not entirely sure whether cancer stem cells are responsible for causing or preventing cancer, they know that these cells possess the ability to self-renew and generate diverse lineages of tumor cells. These cells play a critical role in tumor growth, disease progression, and clinical outcome. Recent data highlight the role of the microenvironment in the progression of cancer. This study provides further insight into the role of cancer stem cells in metastasis.
Traditional modalities of cancer treatment include surgery, chemotherapy, biologic agents, and radiation therapy. However, resistance to therapy results in disease progression or recurrence. The cancer stem cell model traces resistance to therapy to the presence of cancer stem cells. The factors responsible for resistance include DNA repair, signaling pathways, and drug resistance membrane transporters. With the help of therapeutic agents, scientists can develop effective therapies that treat cancer. When the cancer stem cells are targeted, they can overcome the resistance to therapy.
