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Updated: Jan 3, 2026

Studying Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics for Developing New Treatment Strategies
Published on: June 20, 2015
Hypoxia in solid tumors: a key promoter of cancer stem cell (CSC) resistance
Masoud Najafi1, Bagher Farhood2, Keywan Mortezaee3,4
1Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Department, School of Paramedical Sciences, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
Purpose:
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are highly tumorigenic cell types that reside within specific areas of tumor microenvironment (TME), and are endowed with self-renewal and resistance properties. Here, we aimed to discuss mechanisms involved in hypoxia-derived CSC resistance and targeting for effective cancer therapy.
Results:
Preferential localization within hypoxic niches would help CSCs develop adaptive mechanisms, mediated through the modification of responses to various stressors and, as a result, show a more aggressive behavior.
Conclusion:
Hypoxia, in fact, serves as a multi-tasking strategy to nurture CSCs with this adaptive capacity, complexing targeted therapies.
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