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Update on immune‐based therapy strategies targeting cancer stem cells

Authors :
Amirhossein Izadpanah
Niloufar Mohammadkhani
Mina Masoudnia
Mahsa Ghasemzad
Arefeh Saeedian
Hamid Mehdizadeh
Mansour Poorebrahim
Marzieh Ebrahimi
Source :
Cancer Medicine, Vol 12, Iss 18, Pp 18960-18980 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
Wiley, 2023.

Abstract

Abstract Accumulating data reveals that tumors possess a specialized subset of cancer cells named cancer stem cells (CSCs), responsible for metastasis and recurrence of malignancies, with various properties such as self‐renewal, heterogenicity, and capacity for drug resistance. Some signaling pathways or processes like Notch, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), Hedgehog (Hh), and Wnt, as well as CSCs' surface markers such as CD44, CD123, CD133, and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) have pivotal roles in acquiring CSCs properties. Therefore, targeting CSC‐related signaling pathways and surface markers might effectively eradicate tumors and pave the way for cancer survival. Since current treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy cannot eradicate all of the CSCs and tumor relapse may happen following temporary recovery, improving novel and more efficient therapeutic options to combine with current treatments is required. Immunotherapy strategies are the new therapeutic modalities with promising results in targeting CSCs. Here, we review the targeting of CSCs by immunotherapy strategies such as dendritic cell (DC) vaccines, chimeric antigen receptors (CAR)‐engineered immune cells, natural killer‐cell (NK‐cell) therapy, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), checkpoint inhibitors, and the use of oncolytic viruses (OVs) in pre‐clinical and clinical studies. This review will mainly focus on blood malignancies but also describe solid cancers.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20457634
Volume :
12
Issue :
18
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Cancer Medicine
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.3c6dbf08956b4d60b46d2da80adc475e
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.6520