About this Research Topic
Cancer metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Despite the development of anti-cancer drugs over nearly a century, the 5-year survival rate for patients with metastatic cancer, especially those with distal metastases, remains low. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), also known as cancer-initiating cells, refer to a small population of cells in cancerous tissue with unlimited proliferative potential, capable of reconstituting tumorigenesis. CSCs maintain a relatively stable proportion in cancer tissues through self-renewal and differentiation and are likely to tolerate radiotherapy and chemotherapy drugs. When exposed to certain stimulating factors, CSCs rapidly proliferate, leading to drug resistance and cancer recurrence. Importantly, CSCs can be transferred to distant sites through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and immune escape, resulting in cancer metastasis. Thus, CSCs constitute underlying factors in tumorigenesis, drug resistance, recurrence, and metastasis, making them potential intervention points for the development of anti-cancer therapeutic strategies.
Currently, only advanced secondary cancers can be detected in clinical practice, typically after multiple metastases have already occurred. Detecting dormant cancer cells or tiny metastases poses a significant challenge, further complicating cancer treatment. Moreover, clinical drugs targeting cancer metastasis have been found to exhibit greater toxicity, with limited improvement in patients' quality of survival, and the emergence of drug resistance. Therefore, the development of novel small molecular drugs or biological drugs targeting cancer metastasis is urgently needed. Certain candidate targets have been validated as key nodes in the regulation of cancer metastasis. Additionally, more researchers have demonstrated the efficiency of anti-cancer strategies involving targeting CSCs or reducing cancer stemness. This research topic aims to provide valuable insights into innovative small molecules and effective therapeutic strategies targeting tumor metastasis and stemness for cancer treatment, with the goal of improving the survival rate of cancer patients.
The following subtopics, focusing on the discovery of novel anti-cancer strategies targeting tumor metastasis and stemness for cancer treatment, are highly welcomed:
• Discovery of novel small molecular drugs or biological drugs targeting tumor metastasis and stemness for cancer treatment;
• Discovery of novel molecular mechanisms or targets underlying tumor metastasis and stemness;
• Evaluation of small molecular drugs or biological drugs, either alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, in interrupting tumor metastasis and stemness for cancer treatment;
• Clinical trial studies of novel small molecular drugs or biological drugs, alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, in interrupting tumor metastasis and stemness for cancer treatment;
• Discovery of biomarkers that define or detect cancer metastases and stemness;
• Discovery of key factors affecting CSC differentiation and cancer metastasis.
Currently, only advanced secondary cancers can be detected in clinical practice, typically after multiple metastases have already occurred. Detecting dormant cancer cells or tiny metastases poses a significant challenge, further complicating cancer treatment. Moreover, clinical drugs targeting cancer metastasis have been found to exhibit greater toxicity, with limited improvement in patients' quality of survival, and the emergence of drug resistance. Therefore, the development of novel small molecular drugs or biological drugs targeting cancer metastasis is urgently needed. Certain candidate targets have been validated as key nodes in the regulation of cancer metastasis. Additionally, more researchers have demonstrated the efficiency of anti-cancer strategies involving targeting CSCs or reducing cancer stemness. This research topic aims to provide valuable insights into innovative small molecules and effective therapeutic strategies targeting tumor metastasis and stemness for cancer treatment, with the goal of improving the survival rate of cancer patients.
The following subtopics, focusing on the discovery of novel anti-cancer strategies targeting tumor metastasis and stemness for cancer treatment, are highly welcomed:
• Discovery of novel small molecular drugs or biological drugs targeting tumor metastasis and stemness for cancer treatment;
• Discovery of novel molecular mechanisms or targets underlying tumor metastasis and stemness;
• Evaluation of small molecular drugs or biological drugs, either alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, in interrupting tumor metastasis and stemness for cancer treatment;
• Clinical trial studies of novel small molecular drugs or biological drugs, alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, in interrupting tumor metastasis and stemness for cancer treatment;
• Discovery of biomarkers that define or detect cancer metastases and stemness;
• Discovery of key factors affecting CSC differentiation and cancer metastasis.
Keywords: tumor metastasis, tumor stemness, novel anti-cancer strategy
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