Characteristics of Cancer Stem Cells and Their Potential Role in Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer is one of most common types of gynaecological tumours in developing countries. It has been suggested that cancer stem cells play an important role in the development of endometrial cancer. These are a subset of highly tumorigenic cells with similar features to normal stem cells (unlimited proliferation, multi-potential differentiation, self-renewal, aggressiveness, invasion, recurrence, and chemo- and endocrine therapy resistance). Wnt/β-catenin, Hedghog, and Notch1 are the most frequently activated pathways in endometrial cancer stem cells. The presence of cancer stem cells is associated with the resistance to chemotherapy caused by different mechanisms. Various markers, including CD24, CD40, CD44, CD9, CD133, and CD 166, have been identified on the surface of these cells. A higher expression of such markers translates into enhanced tumorigenicity. However, there is no strong evidence showing that any of these identified markers can be used as the universal marker for endometrial cancer stem cells. Growing data from genomic and proteomic profiling shed some light on the understanding of the molecular basis of cancers in humans and the role of cancer stem cells. However, there is much left to discover. Therefore, more studies are needed to fully uncover their functional mechanisms in order to prevent the development and recurrence of cancer, as well as to enhance treatment effectiveness.