Cancer Stem Cells In Solid Tumors

The “cancer stem cell” hypothesis postulates that cancer arises from a subpopulation of tumor-initiating cells or cancer stem cells (CSCs). While the idea of cancer stem cells has been around for more than a hundred years, evidence from the fields of hematology and cancer biology has now demonstrated the critical role of stem cells in hematological malignancies and suggested that these same mechanisms are also central to the initiation, progression, and treatment of solid cancers. Clinical and experimental studies have shown that CSCs exhibit many classical properties of normal stem cells, including a high self-renewal capacity and the ability to generate heterogeneous lineages; the requirement for a specific “niche”/microenvironment to grow; and an increased capacity for self-protection against harsh environments, toxins, and drugs. Cancer Stem Cells in Solid Tumors represents a detailed overview of cancer stem cells and their role in solid cancers. Comprised of 24 chapters, this volume will provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of this important and evolving field. Topics covered include: Introduction of the CSC hypothesis Historical perspectives and the contributing lessons from leukemia Current knowledge regarding the identification and role of CSCs in various forms of solid cancer including breast, brain, colorectal, pancreatic, prostate, melanoma, lung, ovarian, hepatocellular, and head and neck cancer Molecular pathways involved in driving CSC function, with a particular focus on the novel convergence of embryonic and tumorigenic signaling pathways In vitro and in vivo assays, model systems, and imaging modalities for studying CSCs The clinical importance of CSCs for cancer management and treatment, including important implications for prognosis, prediction, and treatment resistance Consideration of the controversy surrounding the CSC hypothesis and important unanswered questions in this field This collective work was written by a group of prominent international experts in cancer biology, oncology, and/or stem cell biology. It will serve as a valuable resource for established researchers, professors, health care professionals, and students in the medical and scientific community who are investigating stem cells and/or oncology.

Volume 11 in this series discusses therapeutic applications of stem cells in disease and tissue injury. Coverage includes pluripotent stem cells, which can give rise to the endodermal, ectodermal, and mesodermal lineages; multipotent stem cells, which can generate all cells in a particular lineage and unipotent stem cells, which can give rise to only one cell type. This volume also examines cancer stem cells, tumor-initiating cells which possesses the capacity of self-renewal and can give rise to the heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells that comprise the tumor. Coverage extends to molecular mechanisms underlying the derivation and expansion of human embryonic stem cells, the role of specific proteins in the maintenance and inhibition of extraembryonic differentiation of these cells and the role of signaling responsible for the self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells. Nine chapters discuss the clinical importance of cancer stem cells, encompassing glioma, leukemia, ovarian cancer, pediatric sarcomas and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The role of cancer stem cells is also elucidated in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in spreading head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The book goes on to survey therapeutic application of stem cells of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic origin for regeneration of bones, including in osteoporotic bone disease; to illuminate the application of hematopoietic stem cells in bone regeneration and to discuss their use as a biomarker to facilitate determination of a treatment. The contributors review cells as biomarkers for pediatric solid tumors, and weigh the advantages and limitations of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Also included are details of neural stem cell engraftment in the injured spinal cord; the regenerative potential of neural stem/progenitor cells of newborns and cancer gene therapy potential using neural stem cells. Like the preceding volumes in the series, this book is distinguished for its comprehensive approach, its distinguished roster of 58 contributors representing 10 different countries and its thorough review of leading-edge technology and methods.

The existence of ‘cancer stem cells’ (CSCs) has been a topic of heated debate for the last few years within the field of cancer biology. Their continuous characterization in a variety of solid tumors has lead to an abundance of evidence supporting their existence. CSCs are believed to be responsible for resistance against conventional treatment regimes of chemotherapy and radiation, ultimately, leading to metastasis and patient demise. To help aid clinicians, pharmaceutical companies and academic labs investigating how to better kill these highly aggressive cells we have summarized the DNA repair mechanism(s) and their role in the maintenance and regulation of both normal and cancer stem cells. Our book represents a comprehensive investigation into the highly effective DNA repair mechanisms of CSCs and what we need to understand in order to develop more advanced therapies to eradicate them from patients. Currently, there are no other published works entirely on DNA repair and Cancer Stem Cells. In addition, our book provides a comprehensive overview of CSC isolation and characterization from a variety of solid tumor types.

Cancer Stem Cells covers a wide range of topics in cancer stem cell biology, including the functional characteristics of cancer stem cells and how they're generated, where they are localized, the means by which cancer stem cells can be targeted, and how cancer stem cells can be reprogrammed back to normal tissue stem cells. Each chapter begins with a brief historical note and concept summary, followed by a description of the latest basic or clinical advance associated with the topic. Cancer Stem Cells builds systematically from coverage of the basic research stage to an advanced research level, from clinical relevance to therapeutic potential, and will be a valuable resource for professionals in the fields of cancer research and stem cell biology.

This book comprehensively reviews the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in cancer initiation, progression, and resistance to anticancer therapies. The initial chapters examine the methods and procedure of the detection, isolation, and characterization of CSCs. It also introduces various epigenetic pathways that contribute to cancer initiation and tumorigenesis, particularly regarding the maintenance and survival of CSCs. It also explores the role of CSCs metabolism and the mechanisms of metabolic plasticity of CSCs in cancer biology. Further, it also presents the implications of CSCs on the origin of tumor heterogeneity and on heterogeneity of the therapeutic response. Towards the end, this book highlights the different immunotherapeutic approaches targeting CSCs with the potential of strongly improving cancer outcomes. This book offers a broad framework to scientists and clinicians into the state-of-the-art knowledge on cancer stem cell biology and highlights their therapeutic implications. ​

The concept of cancer stem cells has great clinical implications. This is due to the fact that small subpopulations of these cells have been identified in a variety of neoplastic conditions ranging from solid tumors to liquid malignancies. Although there are some huge gaps in our current understanding of the role played by cancer stem cells in cancer biology, a growing body of evidence provides strong support for the principal functions of these cells in tumorigenesis. This has represented the potential of cancer stem cells in the development of novel and innovative tools for the treatment of metastatic tumors. This book aims to offer a broad framework for obtaining insight into the state-of-the-art knowledge on cancer stem cell biology and highlight the therapeutic implications of these cells in the future of clinical oncology.

Cancer stem cells have originally been identified in leukemia and later in several solid tumor types. They have very different properties from the bulk of the tumor as they divide much more slowly and have very efficient drug resistance mechanisms. Current treatments might largely spare cancer stem cells. This book looks at recent developments in the field of cancer stem cells and the possible impact for the identification of novel treatment paradigms for cancer.

This book represents an up-dated summary of the state of the art of the characterization of cancer stem cell/ cancer initiating cell (CSC/CIC) properties. An overview of the definition and biological properties of CSCs/CICs as well as the role of these cells in determining the resistance to standard and immune-based therapies is provided. It also discusses limitations in the achievement of a definitive biological characterization of CSCs/CICs due to their high extent of plasticity and heterogeneity that is also mutually driven by the interaction of these cells with the tumor microenvironment. The limitations in targeting CSCs/CICs with immunotherapy are also explained together with explorative combination approaches that could increase the susceptibility of these cells to the recognition by immune cells. This book is conceived for a broad audience, including students, teachers, scientific experts. The critical revision of available results in terms of immunological profile of CSCs/CICs and the efficacy in targeting these cells by immunological approaches, results in a comprehensive and up to date recapitulation of the field and provides interesting suggestions on how to focus future investigations in order to assess the role of CSCs/CICs as prognostic and predictive biomarkers of responsiveness to therapies for cancer patients.