The Impediments of Cancer Stem Cells and An Exploration into the Nanomedical Solutions for Glioblastoma

Abstract

Glioblastoma is an aggressive and reccurent tumour that affects our brain and spinal cord with an extensively poor prognosis and death of the patient within 14-15 months of diagnosis. The tumour originates from astrocytes and therefore comes under the glioma known as astrocytoma. These tumours exhibit miscellaneous properties and contain cancer stem cells (CSCs). The stem cells exhibit diverse mechanisms through which these cells indulge in the proliferation and renewal of their systems. CSCs pose a significant obstacle as far as cancer therapy is concerned, which incorporates blocking important signalling pathways involved in CSCs’ self-renewal and survival which may also include inhibition of the ATP-binding cassette transporters. Nanomedicine, biomarkers and drug delivery technology-based approaches using nanoparticles have tremendous ability to tackle the restrictions impending clinical applications, such as diagnosis and targeting of CSC-specific agents. Nanocarrier-based therapeutic agents have shown a potential of penetrating CSCs and increasing drug accumulation in CSCs. Nanomedicine can overcome ATP-driven pump-mediated multidrug resistance while also reducing the harmful effects on non-cancerous cells. The objective of this review is to examine advantages of nanomedicine and the innovative approaches that have been explored to address the challenges presented by CSCs in order to control the progression of glioblastomas by developing novel nanotherapeutic interventions which target CSCs.

Exploring Importance and Regulation of Autophagy in Cancer Stem Cells and Stem Cell-Based Therapies

“…Salinomycin has demonstrated a specific ability to target and eradicate CSCs, specifically in cases of breast cancer. Studies have shown that salinomycin is beneficial in decreasing the percentage of breast CSCs, which in turn hinders the growth and spread of tumors [ 79 ]. The specific focus on certain cells is one of the factors that has led to salinomycin being considered as a possible treatment for CSCs [ 78 ].…”

Progress in Glioma Stem Cell Research

“…Extensive research has shown that GSCs play an important role in glioblastoma and are associated with increased resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, implying that GSCs have a significant impact on successful treatment outcomes and contribute significantly to the high recurrence rates seen in glioblastoma [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. As a result, GSCs are considered prospective therapeutic targets for glioblastoma therapy, and eliminating GSCs is critical in treating glioblastoma [ 7 , 8 ]. GSC targeting is primarily focused on the direct ablation of GSC cell surface markers and certain pathways involved in GSC stemness maintenance.…”