Targeting Cancer Stem Cell

Dear Colleagues,

There is substantial evidence that many cancers are hierarchically organized and driven by a population of cells displaying stem cell properties. These cells are termed “cancer stem cells (CSCs)” or “tumor initiating cells (ITCs)”, which maintain or acquire the capacity to renew themselves as well as to differentiate into various progenies that form the bulk of a tumor. As CSCs are inherited with intrinsic abilities to confer therapeutic resistance and also play critical roles in tumor initiation, disease progression, and metastasis, these cells may be part of the reason that conventional treatment approaches including radio- and chemotherapy fail to cure cancer, especially those at advanced stages. Thus, the development of novel treatment strategies to effectively target this biologically and clinically important tumor cell population has the potential to significantly improve the outcomes for patients with cancer. This Topical Collection will summarize the latest molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the regulation of CSCs, including the characterization of intrinsic and extrinsic signaling mechanisms that regulate their self-renewal and maintenance and the micro-environmental niches or stromal–tumor interactions that maintain or enhance CSC properties and epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity. The identification of potential metabolic vulnerabilities and molecular targets as potential therapies to specifically target CSCs will also be addressed.

We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Ming Luo
Collection Editor

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