Different Aspects of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Cancer Stem Cells, Their Niche and Targeted Therapy.

Different Aspects of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Cancer Stem Cells, Their Niche and Targeted Therapy. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther. 2020 Sep 21;: Authors: Küçükgüven MB, Çelebi-Saltik B Abstract Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is categorized as the sixth most common cancer worldwide, with an incidence of more than 830,000 cases per year and a mortality rate of 50%. Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and Human Papillomavirus infection are the prominent risks for HNSCC. Despite significant developments in the treatment of HNSCC, a high rate of recurrences makes the clinical situation worse and results in poor survival rates. Recent perspectives demonstrate that whereas epithelial transformation plays a crucial role in cancer development, tumor surrounding microenvironment takes part in progression of cancer as well. Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs), which harbor unlimited self-renewal capacity, have a crucial role in the growth of HNSCC and this cell population is responsible for tumor recurrence unless eliminated by targeted therapy. CSCs are not only a promising target for tumor therapy, but also a crucial biomarker to determine the patients at high risk for undetermined results and disease development. Just as the bone marrow which is the niche of hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, is important for stem cells maintenance. Similarly, the concept of microenvironment is also important for the maintenance of CSCs....
Source: Current Stem Cell Research and Therapy - Category: Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Curr Stem Cell Res Ther Source Type: research