Effect of colorectal cancer stem cells on the development and metastasis of colorectal cancer

Abstract

The relevant mechanism of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the treatment of colorectal cancer patients with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is discussed, and the application prospects of TAMs in reversing the treatment tolerance of ICIs are discussed to provide a reference for related studies. As a class of drugs widely used in clinical tumor immunotherapy, ICIs can act on regulatory molecules on cells that play an inhibitory role - immune checkpoints - and kill tumors in the form of an immune response by activating a variety of immune cells in the immune system. The sensitivity of patients with different types of colorectal cancer to ICI treatment varies greatly. The phenotype and function of TAMs in the colorectal cancer microenvironment are closely related to the efficacy of ICIs. ICIs can regulate the phenotypic function of TAMs, and TAMs can also affect the tolerance of colorectal cancer to ICI therapy. TAMs play an important role in ICI resistance, and making full use of this target as a therapeutic strategy is expected to improve the immunotherapy efficacy and prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Colorectal cancer stem cells; Tumor metastasis; Tumor immune microenvironment; Review

Core Tip: The role of colorectal cancer stem cells in the tumor immune microenvironment, the development and metastasis of colorectal cancer. This paper focuses on how colorectal cancer stem cells affect the tumor immune microenvironment through immune escape, immunosuppression and microenvironment remodeling, and analyzes their key functions in tumor progression and metastasis. In addition, this paper also summarizes potential therapeutic strategies for colorectal cancer stem cells, aiming to inhibit their cancer-promoting effects and provide new targets and ideas for the treatment of colorectal cancer.