Cell Therapy as Target Therapy against Colon Cancer Stem Cells

Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of cells within tumors with properties, such as self-renewal, differentiation, and tumorigenicity. CSCs have been proposed as a plausible therapeutic target as they are responsible for tumor recurrence, metastasis, and conventional therapy resistance. Selectively targeting CSCs is a promising strategy to eliminate the propagation of tumor cells and impair overall tumor development. Recent research shows that several immune cells play a crucial role in regulating tumor cell proliferation by regulating different CSC maintenance or proliferation pathways. There have been great advances in cellular immunotherapy using T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, macrophages, or stem cells for the selective targeting of tumor cells or CSCs in colorectal cancer (CRC). This review summarizes the CRC molecular profiles that may benefit from said therapy and the main vehicles used in cell therapy against CSCs. We also discuss the challenges, limitations, and advantages of combining conventional and/or current targeted treatments in the late stages of CRC.

Oleanolic acid inhibits colon cancer cell stemness and reverses chemoresistance by suppressing JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway

“…Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a distinct subpopulation of cancer cells that can differentiate and self-renew, as is widely recognized [28,33]. Numerous studies conducted in recent times have provided evidence that CSCs play a role in tumorigenesis, drug resistance, and proliferation of using their persistent proliferation and resistance to traditional anti-cancer treatments [34][35][36].…”

“…According to recent studies, colon cancer stem cells (CCSCs) are considered the primary initiator of cancer metastasis, recurrence, progression, or chemoresistance [28]. Thus, the sphere-formation assay and plate clone-formation assay were employed.…”

Tumor cell stemness in gastrointestinal cancer: regulation and targeted therapy

“…The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy features the genetic modification of cytotoxic cells, mostly T cell or NK cell. Instead of targeting MHC in the conventional way, the modifiable extracellular region serves as a chimeric receptor, which enables the cell to bind any surface antigen of interest, making it a customizable tool to directly target tumor associated markers ( Garza Trevino et al, 2023 ). This flexibility makes CAR therapy a versatile tool in detecting and eliminating CSCs, with CD133 and EpCAM as the most recruited CSC markers to date.…”

Should we consider Systemic Inflammatory Response Index (SIRI) as a new diagnostic marker for rectal cancer?

“…Furthermore, recently applied surgical treatment modalities such as total mesorectal excision (TME) and radiotherapy have been approved for a significant prognostic effect in the treatment of rectal cancers [ 5 , 6 ]. Moreover, the recently emerged new chemotherapy agents, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy also changed the prognosis of the disease [ 7 , 8 ]. However, further prognostic factors have been evaluated in the last decade.…”