Title:Stem Cells: Therapeutic Implications in Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy
Resistance in Cancer Therapy
Volume: 18
Issue: 6
Author(s): Tejaswini Patil, Sonali S. Rohiwal and Arpita P. Tiwari*
Affiliation:
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, D.Y. Patil Education Society, Institution
Deemed to be University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
Keywords:
Cancer stem cells, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, drug resistance, cancer therapy, biological agents.
Abstract: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are transformed forms of normal stem cells within heterogeneous
mixture of cancer cells. These are mainly responsible for the recurrence of cancer after treatment because
of their ability to develop resistance against chemo and radiotherapy due to various factors such as activation
of signalling pathways important for self-renewal, DNA repair capacity, microenvironment and expression
of ABC transporters. Targeting these mechanisms as potential factors can eliminate CSCs, which
eventually decreases cancer recurrence. This review focuses on the characteristics of CSCs, their role in
the development of resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy along with the therapeutic potential targets
for successful elimination of CSC population.