Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) and its various biomarkers for treatment of human cancers: Review article

Abstract

Traditional cancer treatments often fail to target specific cells, leading to therapy resistance and recurrence. Stem cell biology offers new potential for cancer treatment, including self-renewal, migration, differentiation, and modulatory effects. This review discusses stem cell use in cancer treatment, clinical applications, risks, and future directions for improving cancer outcomes. The kind of treatment chosen is determined by the kind, stage, and goal of the cancer. The first line of treatment for the direct removal of solid tumors that are localized is surgery. Radiotherapy damages the DNA of cancer cells, which can kill tumors. Chemotherapy helps slow down or stop tumour growth by using extremely toxic drugs. Many stem cell-based approaches are currently being studied in preclinical trials, and they present both exciting opportunities and difficult challenges for the treatment of cancer. Epigenetic mutations in normal stem cells or in precursor/progenitor cells give rise to CSCs, also known as stem-like cells, immature progenitors of tumor cells, or tumor-initiating cells. Tumor tissues contain CSCs, which are crucial for the development, spread, and recurrence of cancer. Thus, targeting CSCs may hold the key to treating different kinds of solid tumors. This review discusses the biological roles of stem cells and their diverse applications in cancer treatment. HSC transplantation is effective for hematologic cancers like leukaemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphomas. Immunomodulatory MSCs have shown high effectiveness in reducing GVHD cases and repairing injured tissues. MSCs and NSCs have also been investigated for tumour-tropic properties.