Cancers 2011, 3(2), 1929-1946; doi:10.3390/cancers3021929
Review

Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells and Cell Death

Veronica Catalano 1,† email, Miriam Gaggianesi 1,2,† , Valentina Spina 1,† email, Flora Iovino 1 email, Francesco Dieli 3 email, Giorgio Stassi 1,2,* email and Matilde Todaro 1 email
1 Department of Surgical and Oncological Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Liborio Giuffrè 5, 90127 Palermo (PA), Italy 2 Department of Cellular and Molecular Oncology, IRCCS Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, Via Salvatore Maugeri, 27100 Pavia (PV), Italy 3 Department of Biopathology and Medicine Biotechnologies, University of Palermo, Via Liborio Giuffrè 5, 90127 Palermo (PA), Italy † These authors contribute equally to this work.
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 30 December 2010; in revised form: 21 March 2011 / Accepted: 6 April 2011 / Published: 11 April 2011
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cell Death and Cancer)
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Abstract: Nowadays it is reported that, similarly to other solid tumors, colorectal cancer is sustained by a rare subset of cancer stem–like cells (CSCs), which survive conventional anticancer treatments, thanks to efficient mechanisms allowing escape from apoptosis, triggering tumor recurrence. To improve patient outcomes, conventional anticancer therapies have to be replaced with specific approaches targeting CSCs. In this review we provide strong support that BMP4 is an innovative therapeutic approach to prevent colon cancer growth increasing differentiation markers expression and apoptosis. Recent data suggest that in colorectal CSCs, protection from apoptosis is achieved by interleukin-4 (IL-4) autocrine production through upregulation of antiapoptotic mediators, including survivin. Consequently, IL-4 neutralization could deregulate survivin expression and localization inducing chemosensitivity of the colon CSCs pool.
Keywords: cancer stem cells; apoptosis; BMP4; survivin

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MDPI and ACS Style

Catalano, V.; Gaggianesi, M.; Spina, V.; Iovino, F.; Dieli, F.; Stassi, G.; Todaro, M. Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells and Cell Death. Cancers 2011, 3, 1929-1946.

AMA Style

Catalano V, Gaggianesi M, Spina V, Iovino F, Dieli F, Stassi G, Todaro M. Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells and Cell Death. Cancers. 2011; 3(2):1929-1946.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Catalano, Veronica; Gaggianesi, Miriam; Spina, Valentina; Iovino, Flora; Dieli, Francesco; Stassi, Giorgio; Todaro, Matilde. 2011. "Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells and Cell Death." Cancers 3, no. 2: 1929-1946.

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