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Alqarni A, Jasim SA, Altalbawy FMA, Kaur H, Kaur I, Rodriguez-Benites C, Deorari M, Alwaily ER, Al-Ani AM, Redhee AH. Challenges and opportunities for cancer stem cell-targeted immunotherapies include immune checkpoint inhibitor, cancer stem cell-dendritic cell vaccine, chimeric antigen receptor immune cells, and modified exosomes. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2024; 38:e23719. [PMID: 38764138 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME). CSCs induce tumorigenesis, tumor recurrence and progression, and resistance to standard therapies. Indeed, CSCs pose an increasing challenge to current cancer therapy due to their stemness or self-renewal properties. The molecular and cellular interactions between heterogeneous CSCs and surrounding TME components and tumor-supporting immune cells show synergistic effects toward treatment failure. In the immunosuppressive TME, CSCs express various immunoregulatory proteins, growth factors, metabolites and cytokines, and also produce exosomes, a type of extracellular vesicles, to protect themselves from host immune surveillance. Among these, the identification and application of CSC-derived exosomes could be considered for the development of therapeutic approaches to eliminate CSCs or cancer, in addition to targeting the modulators that remodel the composition of the TME, as reviewed in this study. Here, we introduce the role of CSCs and how their interaction with TME complicates immunotherapies, and then present the CSC-based immunotherapy and the limitation of these therapies. We describe the biology and role of tumor/CSC-derived exosomes that induce immune suppression in the TME, and finally, introduce their potentials for the development of CSC-based targeted immunotherapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Alqarni
- Department of Diagnostics Dental Sciences and Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Farag M A Altalbawy
- Department of Chemistry, University College of Duba, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
| | - Harpreet Kaur
- School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Shobhit University, Gangoh, India
- Department of Health and Allied Sciences, Arka Jain University, Jamshedpur, India
| | - Irwanjot Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetics, Jain (Deemed-to-be) University, Bengaluru, India
- Department of Allied Healthcare and Sciences, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, India
| | - Carlos Rodriguez-Benites
- Departamento Académico de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Trujillo, Perú
| | - Mahamedha Deorari
- Uttaranchal Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
| | - Enas R Alwaily
- Microbiology Research Group, College of Pharmacy, Al-Ayen University, Thi Qar, Iraq
| | - Ahmed M Al-Ani
- Department of Medical Engineering, Al-Nisour University College, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Ahmed H Redhee
- Medical Laboratory Technique College, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq
- Medical Laboratory Technique College, The Islamic University of Al Diwaniyah, Al Diwaniyah, Iraq
- Medical Laboratory Technique College, The Islamic University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq
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Veschi V, Turdo A, Stassi G. Novel insights into cancer stem cells targeting: CAR-T therapy and epigenetic drugs as new pillars in cancer treatment. FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR MEDICINE 2023; 3:1120090. [PMID: 39086678 PMCID: PMC11285630 DOI: 10.3389/fmmed.2023.1120090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent the most aggressive subpopulation present in the tumor bulk retaining invasive capabilities, metastatic potential and high expression levels of drug efflux pumps responsible for therapy resistance. Cancer is still an incurable disease due to the inefficacy of standard regimens that spare this subpopulation. Selective targeting of CSCs is still an unmet need in cancer research field. Aberrant epigenetic reprogramming promotes the initiation and maintenance of CSCs, which are able to escape the immune system defense. Promising therapeutic approaches able to induce the selective inhibition of this stem-like small subset include immunotherapy alone or in combination with epigenetic compounds. These strategies are based on the specific expression of epitopes and/or epigenetic alterations present only in the CSC and not in the other cancer cells or normal cells. Thus, the combined approach utilizing CAR-T immunotherapy along with epigenetic probes may overcome the barriers of treatment ineffectiveness towards a more precision medicine approach in patients with known specific alterations of CSCs. In this perspective article we will shed new lights on the future applications of epi-immunotherapy in tumors enriched in CSCs, along with its potential side-effects, limitations and the development of therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Veschi
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Stomatological Sciences (DICHIRONS), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alice Turdo
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giorgio Stassi
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Stomatological Sciences (DICHIRONS), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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