Therapies targeting cancer stem cells: Current trends and future challenges

Figure 1 Therapies targeting cancer stem cells. Numerous therapies aiming to eradicate cancer stem cells have been developed during last year’s. Here we highlighted most common seven approaches: targeting surface biomarkers, signaling pathways that regulate cancer stem cells (CSCs) self-renewal and differentiation, drug-efflux pumps involved in apoptosis resistance, microenvironmental signals that sustain CSCs growth, manipulation of miRNA expression, and induction of CSCs apoptosis and differentiation, with specific aim of hamper CSCs regeneration and cancer relapse. ATRA: All trans retinoic acid; HDACI: Histone deacetylase inhibitors; PI3K: Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; NF-κB: Nuclear factor kappa B; TRAIL: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand.