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Nichotherapy for stem cells: There goes the neighborhood
Author(s) -
Levesque JeanPierre,
Winkler Ingrid G.,
Rasko John E. J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.201200111
Subject(s) - stem cell , niche , haematopoiesis , stem cell niche , cancer stem cell , biology , plerixafor , leukemia , cancer research , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , progenitor cell , cxcr4 , immune system , ecology , chemokine
Abstract Stem cells and their malignant counterparts require the support of a specific microenvironment or “niche”. While various anti‐cancer therapies have been broadly successful, there are growing opportunities to target the environment in which these cells reside to further improve therapeutic efficacy and outcome. This is particularly true when the aim is to target normal or malignant stem cells. The field aiming to target or use the niches that harbor, protect, and support stem cells could be designated as “nichotherapy”. In this essay, we provide a few examples of nichotherapies. Some have been employed for decades, such as hematopoietic stem cell mobilization, whereas others are emerging, such as chemosensitization of leukemia stem cells by targeting their niche.