INTRODUCTION

What is Cancer?
What are Stem Cells?
Cancer Stem Cells?

HYPOTHESIS

NORMAL STEM CELLS

VARIATIONS
GENERATE TUMOR

TUMOR CELLS
VARIATIONS
INVADE, MIGRATE
AND DISSEMINATE
PROPERTIES CSC

INVOLVEMENT OF CSCs IN TUMORS

SOURCE OF MALIGNANCY
IN PRIMARY TUMORS

CAUSE
METASTASIS

THREE
WAYS

RESERVOIR OF
DRUG RESISTANT
CELLS

ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION

Receptors

CD133
CD24

Transcription
Factors

OCT-4
SOX-2

Drug efflux
pumps

Hyaluronic acid receptor

CD44

ATP-binding cassette
Drug transporters
Multidrug resistance transporter 1

SIGNALING PATHWAYS IN MAINTENANCE OF

CSCs

SIGNALING PATHWAYS IN MAINTENANCE OF

CSCs

SIGNALING PATHWAYS IN MAINTENANCE OF

CSCs

FUTURE PROCEDURES TREATMENTS

Targeting Signaling pathways

CSC markers
CSCs by manipulation of miRNA expression
CSCs by induction of apoptosis and CSC
differentation

CONCLUSIONS
Limitations to identify CSCs

Improve isolating methods of CSCs

Identify important molecules in signaling
pathways to target them

CONCLUSIONS

Create high-precision
therapies which target
selectively CSCs