Cancer stem cells and macrophages: molecular connections and future perspectives against cancer

Oncotarget. 2021 Feb 2;12(3):230-250. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.27870. eCollection 2021 Feb 2.ABSTRACTCancer stem cells (CSCs) have been considered the key drivers of cancer initiation and progression due to their unlimited self-renewal capacity and their ability to induce tumor formation. Macrophages, particularly tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), establish a tumor microenvironment to protect and induce CSCs development and dissemination. Many studies in the past decade have been performed to understand the molecular mediators of CSCs and TAMs, and several studies have elucidated the complex crosstalk that occurs between these two cell types. The aim of this review is to define the complex crosstalk between these two cell types and to highlight potential future anti-cancer strategies.PMID:33613850 | PMC:PMC7869576 | DOI:10.18632/oncotarget.27870

Source: Oncotarget - February 22, 2021 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Beatrice Aramini Valentina Masciale Giulia Grisendi Federico Banchelli Roberto D'Amico Antonino Maiorana Uliano Morandi Massimo Dominici Khawaja Husnain Haider Source Type: research