Cancer stem cells in head and neck cancer: A Mini Review

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genomics
• Cancer Stem Cell Biology

Background:

• Head and neck cancer (HNC) presents significant therapeutic challenges due to its multifaceted nature and genomic complexity.
• Intra-tumor heterogeneity, including genetic and epigenetic mutations, contributes to treatment resistance, locoregional recurrences, and distant metastases in HNC patients.
• The existence of distinct cell subpopulations with tumor-initiating potential within HNC masses is increasingly recognized as a key factor in therapeutic resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of cancer stem cell (CSC) biomarkers in head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment.
• To explore the potential of CSC biomarkers as therapeutic targets for improving HNC diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment strategies.
• To highlight the need for further research into CSCs for developing novel therapeutic approaches to eliminate CSCs and enhance clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Review of preclinical and clinical studies on signaling pathways in HNC.
• Analysis of high-throughput technologies identifying distinct cell subpopulations within tumors.
• Examination of intracellular proteins and cell surface markers used to study CSCs.

Main Results:

• Intra-tumor heterogeneity and distinct cell subpopulations with tumor-initiating potential are responsible for HNC resistance.
• Various intracellular proteins and cell surface markers are utilized to study CSCs in HNC.
• CD44 is identified as a biomarker requiring further investigation due to contradictory findings in HNC studies.

Conclusions:

• CSC biomarkers hold significant potential for improving HNC diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment decisions.
• Further research on CSC biomarkers is essential for developing targeted therapies to eliminate CSCs and improve clinical outcomes in HNC.
• Lineage tracing and deep sequencing studies are needed to fully understand the CSC model's role in HNC resistance and carcinogenesis.