The discovery of cancer stem cells caused a paradigm shift in the concepts of origin and development of colorectal cancer. Several unresolved questions remain in this field though. Are colorectal cancer stem cells the...The discovery of cancer stem cells caused a paradigm shift in the concepts of origin and development of colorectal cancer. Several unresolved questions remain in this field though. Are colorectal cancer stem cells the cause or an effect of the disease? How do cancer stem cells assist in colorectal tumor dissemination to distant organs? What are the molecular or environmental factors affecting the roles of these cells in colorectal cancer? Through this review, we investigate the key findings until now and attempt to elucidate the origins, physical properties, microenvironmental niches, as well as the molecular signaling network that support the existence, self-renewal, plasticity, quiescence, and the overall maintenance of cancer stem cells in colorectal cancer. Increasing data show that the cancer stem cells play a crucial role not only in the establishment of the primary colorectal tumor but also in the distant spread of the disease. Hence, we will also look at the mechanisms adopted by cancer stem cells to influence the development of metastasis and evade therapeutic targeting and its role in the overall disease prognosis. Finally, we will illustrate the importance of understanding the biology of these cells to develop improved clinical strategies to tackle colorectal cancer.展开更多
Globally,hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a leading cause of cancer and cancerrelated deaths.The therapeutic efficacy of locoregional and systemic treatment in patients with advanced HCC remains low,which results in a ...Globally,hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a leading cause of cancer and cancerrelated deaths.The therapeutic efficacy of locoregional and systemic treatment in patients with advanced HCC remains low,which results in a poor prognosis.The development of sorafenib for the treatment of HCC has resulted in a new era of molecular targeted therapy for this disease.However,the median overall survival was reported to be barely higher in the sorafenib treatment group than in the control group.Hence,in this review we describe the importance of developing more effective targeted therapies for the management of advanced HCC.Recent investigations of molecular signaling pathways in several cancers have provided some insights into developing molecular therapies that target critical members of these signaling pathways.Proteins involved in the Hedgehog and Notch signaling pathways,Polo-like kinase 1,arginine,histone deacetylases and Glypican-3 can be potential targets in the treatment of HCC.Monotherapy has limited therapeutic efficacy due to the development of inhibitory feedback mechanisms and induction of chemoresistance.Thus,emphasis is now on the development of personalized and combination molecular targeted therapies that can serve as ideal therapeutic strategies for improved management of HCC.展开更多
文摘The discovery of cancer stem cells caused a paradigm shift in the concepts of origin and development of colorectal cancer. Several unresolved questions remain in this field though. Are colorectal cancer stem cells the cause or an effect of the disease? How do cancer stem cells assist in colorectal tumor dissemination to distant organs? What are the molecular or environmental factors affecting the roles of these cells in colorectal cancer? Through this review, we investigate the key findings until now and attempt to elucidate the origins, physical properties, microenvironmental niches, as well as the molecular signaling network that support the existence, self-renewal, plasticity, quiescence, and the overall maintenance of cancer stem cells in colorectal cancer. Increasing data show that the cancer stem cells play a crucial role not only in the establishment of the primary colorectal tumor but also in the distant spread of the disease. Hence, we will also look at the mechanisms adopted by cancer stem cells to influence the development of metastasis and evade therapeutic targeting and its role in the overall disease prognosis. Finally, we will illustrate the importance of understanding the biology of these cells to develop improved clinical strategies to tackle colorectal cancer.
文摘Globally,hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a leading cause of cancer and cancerrelated deaths.The therapeutic efficacy of locoregional and systemic treatment in patients with advanced HCC remains low,which results in a poor prognosis.The development of sorafenib for the treatment of HCC has resulted in a new era of molecular targeted therapy for this disease.However,the median overall survival was reported to be barely higher in the sorafenib treatment group than in the control group.Hence,in this review we describe the importance of developing more effective targeted therapies for the management of advanced HCC.Recent investigations of molecular signaling pathways in several cancers have provided some insights into developing molecular therapies that target critical members of these signaling pathways.Proteins involved in the Hedgehog and Notch signaling pathways,Polo-like kinase 1,arginine,histone deacetylases and Glypican-3 can be potential targets in the treatment of HCC.Monotherapy has limited therapeutic efficacy due to the development of inhibitory feedback mechanisms and induction of chemoresistance.Thus,emphasis is now on the development of personalized and combination molecular targeted therapies that can serve as ideal therapeutic strategies for improved management of HCC.