Open AccessConcise Review: Breast Cancer Stem Cells: Regulatory Networks, Stem Cell Niches, and Disease Relevance
Author(s) -
Guo Wenjun
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
stem cells translational medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.781
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 2157-6580
pISSN - 2157-6564
DOI - 10.5966/sctm.2014-0020
Subject(s) - cancer stem cell , stem cell , biology , cancer research , microrna , transcription factor , metastasis , epithelial–mesenchymal transition , breast cancer , cancer cell , tumor initiation , cancer , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , gene
Signaling networks mediated by microRNAs and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐inducing transcription factors connect the EMT program with the core stem cell regulatory machineries. These signaling networks are also regulated by extrinsic niche signals that induce and maintain cancer stem cells (CSCs), contributing to metastatic colonization and promoting the reactivation of dormant tumor cells. Targeting these CSC pathways is likely to improve the efficacy of conventional chemo‐ and radiotherapies.