Abstract
For over 30 years, stem cells have been used in the replenishment of blood and immune systems damaged by the cancer cells or during treatment of cancer by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Apart from their use in the immuno-reconstitution, the stem cells have been reported to contribute in the tissue regeneration and as delivery vehicles in the cancer treatments. The recent concept of 'cancer stem cells' has directed scientific communities towards a different wide new area of research field and possible potential future treatment modalities for the cancer. Aim of this review is primarily focus on the recent developments in the use of the stem cells in the cancer treatments, then to discuss the cancer stem cells, now considered as backbone in the development of the cancer; and their role in carcinogenesis and their implications in the development of possible new cancer treatment options in future.
Highlights
Cancer is the most common cause of mortality and morbidity in U.K
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are omnipotent and have indefinite replicative life span, which is attributable to their telomerase expression[2]
The most commonly used adult stem cells (ASCs) derived from bone marrow are haemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and other primitive progenitor cells including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs)[3,4] The microRNAs expression has been reported as a requisite to bypass G1/ S checkpoint, for the self-renewal characteristic of stem cells[5]
Summary
Cancer is the most common cause of mortality and morbidity in U.K. Despite recent advances in the treatments of cancer, the clinical outcome is yet far away from expectation. PBSCs have been shown to induce higher number of CD4 T and NK cells compared to stem cells obtained from the bone marrow [18]. These clinical trials provide different outcomes such as Storek et al suggested that PBSC yields higher lymphocyte subset counts[42] while Hernandez et al noticed no difference in the number of lymphocyte counts but noted faster reconstitution of cytotoxic subsets [43]. Keys: RCT – Randomised Control Trial, CT – Controlled Trial, PBSC – Peripheral Blood Stem Cells, NK – Natural Killer, CD8, CD4, CD45RA & CD45RO – Different types of T Cells, HLA – Human Leucocyte Antigen, GVHD – Graft Vs Host Disease, OS – Overall Survival, Pats – Patients, No – Number. MSC transduced with an adenoviral expression vector carrying interferon-β gene has been demon-
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