Cancer stem cell (CSC) (CSC)

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of neoplastic cells characterized by their capacity for self-renewal and the ability to generate the heterogeneous lineages found within a tumor (Nguyen et al., 2012). Unlike bulk tumor cells, which form the majority of the tumor volume but have limited proliferative potential, CSCs are highly tumorigenic and are often implicated in therapy resistance, metastasis, and disease relapse (Batlle & Clevers, 2017). CSCs utilize highly conserved developmental signaling pathways, including Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog, to maintain their stem-like state and evade apoptosis induced by conventional cytotoxic agents (Takebe et al., 2015). Current drug development efforts focus on targeting these pathways or specific surface antigens such as CD44 and CD133 to eradicate the CSC pool (Klonisch et al., 2008). However, the inherent plasticity of tumor cells, where non-CSCs can revert to a stem-like state, presents a significant challenge for therapeutic durability (Gupta et al., 2011). The designation 'Cancer stem cells vs bulk tumor cells' describes a biological comparison of cell populations rather than a specific molecular target such as a receptor or enzyme (NIH NCI, 2023).

Other names

Tumor-initiating cellCancer stem-like cellTumorigenic cellCSC

Inhibition of developmental signaling pathways (Wnt, Notch, Hedgehog) or targeting of stemness-associated surface markers to deplete the tumor-initiating cell population (Takebe et al., 2015).