Özet:

Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) are cells that are capable of self-renewal and differentiation, such as normal stem cells and are found in many tissues such as breast, brain, lung, prostate, testis, ovary, esophagus, colon, liver. Their origins have not yet been discovered, but a number of hypotheses have been put forward. CSCs are cells that drive tumorigenesis, as well as give rise to a large population of differentiated progeny that make up the bulk of the tumor. Each cancer has biomarkers that identify the stem cell. The same specific signaling pathways play a functional role in CSC renewal and differentiation as with normal stem cells, the only difference being that the same signaling pathways are dysregulated in CSCs. CSCs play a role in not only the creation of cancer, but also in its evolution, metastasis, and recurrence. MicroRNAs and several signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, Notch and Hedgehog control the properties of CSCs. CSCs are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatment and that CSCs are very likely to be the origin of cancer metastasis. CSCs are believed to be an important target for novel anti-cancer drug discovery. Future studies will lead to the development of therapies that target CSCs for the treatment of cancer.

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