Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are cells that drive tumorigenesis,
as well as give rise to a large population of differentiated
progeny that make up the bulk of the tumor. The same specific
signaling pathways play a functional role in CSC renewal
and/or differentiation as with normal stem cells, the only
difference being that the same signaling pathways are dysregulated
in CSCs. In addition, recent studies have demonstrated
that CSCs are resistant to chemo- and radiotherapy.
Future studies should lead to development of CSC-targeted
therapies for cancer treatment.
Keywords: Cancer stem cell; cancer stem cell markers; normal stem cell
