Chapter 5

Cancer Stem Cells, Models, Drugs and Future Prospective

Ali Zekri, Mehrdad Asghari Estiar and Parvin Mehdipour

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that malignant tumor is driven by tumorinitiating cells or cancer stem cells (CSCs) have recently attracted a great number of considerations for novel cancer therapy. The concept of cancer stem cell (CSCs) is an appealing model to describe the functional heterogeneity of tumor cells. It suggests a hierarchical organization of CSCs subpopulation to sustain tumor growth and metastasis. CSCs could be resistant to standard anti-cancer drugs, which might describe the limitations of these therapies. So, much work is required to identify and use of CSCs as a target for anti-cancer treatment. This chapter focuses on the recent advances in the cancer stem cell field and anticancer drug discovery.

Total Pages: 135-156 (22)

Purchase Chapter  Book Details