Cancer stemness pathways (CSP)

Cancer stemness pathways refer to a collection of highly conserved developmental signaling cascades—most notably Wnt/beta-catenin, Hedgehog, Notch, and Hippo—that are aberrantly reactivated in cancer to maintain a subpopulation of cells known as cancer stem cells (CSCs). These pathways govern the fundamental properties of CSCs, including self-renewal, multi-lineage differentiation potential, and high resistance to apoptosis. By driving these stem-like traits, these pathways contribute significantly to tumor heterogeneity, metastasis, and the ability of tumors to survive conventional cytotoxic treatments, leading to clinical relapse. Therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways aim to eliminate the 'root' of the cancer by forcing CSCs to differentiate or by directly inducing their death. However, because these pathways are also essential for the maintenance and repair of normal adult tissues, achieving a therapeutic window that spares healthy stem cells remains a significant challenge in drug development. Current research focuses on identifying specific nodes within these pathways that are uniquely dysregulated in malignant cells to minimize systemic toxicity.

Other names

Cancer stem cell signaling pathwaysCSC pathwaysStemness-associated signalingTumor-initiating cell pathways

Inhibition of developmental signaling cascades (Wnt, Hedgehog, Notch) to deplete cancer stem cell populations, induce differentiation of stem-like cells into non-tumorigenic phenotypes, and sensitize tumors to conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy.