Cancer Stem Cell Plasticity Drives Therapy Resistance in Colorectal Cancer
World Journal of Stem Cells, cilt.18, sa.9, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 18 Sayı: 9
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.4252/wjsc.122395
- Dergi Adı: World Journal of Stem Cells
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, EMBASE
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Cancer stem cells, Colorectal cancer, Metastasis, Plasticity, Therapy resistance, Tumor microenvironment
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, primarily due to therapy resistance, tumor recurrence, and metastasis. Increasing evidence indicates that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are central drivers of tumor initiation, progression, and resistance to conventional therapies. CSCs exhibit key biological features, including self-renewal, differentiation capacity, and remarkable phenotypic plasticity, enabling dynamic adaptation under therapeutic pressure. Critical signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B regulate CSC maintenance and survival. Recent advances have highlighted the concept of cellular plasticity, particularly the ability of non-stem cancer cells to reacquire stem-like properties, defined as revival CSCs. In addition, the tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in sustaining CSC function through stromal interactions, immune modulation, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Emerging therapeutic strategies targeting CSCs-including pathway inhibition, epigenetic modulation, and exosome-based therapies-offer promising approaches to overcome resistance. This mini-review summarizes current insights into CSC biology, resistance mechanisms, and evolving therapeutic strategies in CRC.