Section 1: Introduction (from DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-0110-5)
From publication: "Targeting cancer stem cell pathways for cancer therapy" published as Signal Transduct Target Ther; 2020 ; 5 8; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-020-0110-5
Section 1: Introduction
CSCs were first identified in leukemia and then isolated via CD34+ and CD38- surface marker expression in the 1990s. CSCs expressing different surface markers, such as CD133, nestin, and CD44, have been subsequently found in many nonsolid and solid tumors, and these cells also form the bulk of the tumor. CSCs can generate tumors via the self-renewal and differentiation into multiple cellular subtypes. The activities of CSCs are controlled by many intracellular and extracellular factors, and these factors can be used as drug targets for cancer treatment. To understand the nature of CSCs, we summarized their characteristics, methods for identification and isolation, regulation and current research on targeting CSCs for cancer therapy both in basic research and clinical studies.