Gastric Cancer Stem Cells: Current Insights into the Immune Microenvironment and Therapeutic Targets
Lingfeng Fu, Luke Bu, Tadahito Yasuda, Mayu Koiwa, Takahiko Akiyama, Tomoyuki Uchihara, Hideo Baba, Takatsugu Ishimoto
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are known to be involved in chemotherapy resistance and the development of metastases. Although CSCs harbor self-renewal and tumorigenic abilities, the immune microenvironment surrounding CSCs provides various factors and supports the maintenance of CSC properties. The current review summarizes the accumulating findings regarding the relationship between the immune microenvironment and gastric CSCs (GCSCs), which will support the possibility of developing novel therapeutic strategies for targeting GCSCs.
Topics & Concepts
Cancer stem cellTumor microenvironmentImmune systemCancerCancer researchStem cellCancer cellMedicineImmunologyBiologyInternal medicineCell biologyCancer Cells and MetastasisEpigenetics and DNA MethylationMicroRNA in disease regulation