Pengchao Fang, Liuting Zhou, Lee Y. Lim, Hualin Fu , Zhi-xiang Yuan* and Juchun Lin* Pages 1964 - 1978 ( 15 )
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is an intractable genitourinary malignancy that accounts for approximately 4% of adult malignancies. Currently, there is no approved targeted therapy for RCC that has yielded durable remissions, and they remain palliative in intent. Emerging evidence has indicated that renal tumorigenesis and RCC treatment-resistance may originate from renal cancer stem cells (CSCs) with tumor-initiating capacity (CSC hypothesis). A better understanding of the mechanism underlying renal CSCs will help to dissect RCC heterogeneity and drug treatment efficiency, to promote more personalized and targeted therapies. In this review, we summarized the stem cell characteristics of renal CSCs. We outlined the targeting strategies and challenges associated with developing therapies that target renal CSCs angiogenesis, immunosuppression, signaling pathways, surface biomarkers, microRNAs and nanomedicine. In conclusion, CSCs are an important role in renal carcinogenesis and represent a valid target for treatment of RCC patients.
Renal cell carcinoma, renal cancer stem cells, signal pathways, biomarkers, targeting strategy, microRNAs.
Department of Pharmacy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Department of Pharmacy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 6009, Perth, Department of Pharmacy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, Department of Pharmacy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu