Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Generation of Natural Killer Cells from Human Expanded Potential Stem Cells
Published on: January 13, 2023
Targeting cancer stem cells with natural products
Joseph Burnett1, Bryan Newman, Duxin Sun
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109-1065, USA.
Abstract:
The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis presents a fundamentally different paradigm for cancer treatment. CSCs reflect a small fraction of tumor initiating cells capable of sustained self-renewal and differentiation to form the heterogeneous tumor bulk. In order to cure cancer, it is necessary to eliminate cancer stem cells in addition to differentiated cancer cells to decrease metastasis, reduce recurrence, and improve patient survival. In this article, we review cancer stem cell signaling pathways, including Wnt, Hedgehog, and Notch, as well as interactions of CSCs with the tumor microenvironment. We also review methods to isolate CSCs and demonstrate therapeutic efficacy of natural products to modulate these signaling pathways for eliminating CSCs.
Related Concept Videos
Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells are tissue-specific; hence, they divide to develop the tissue from which they originate. One type of adult stem cell is the epithelial stem cell, which gives rise to the keratinocytes in the multiple layers of epithelial cells in the epidermis of the skin. Adult bone marrow has three distinct types of stem cells:...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
What is Natural Selection?
Nature and Nurture
Adult Stem Cells

