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.
子宫内膜癌是发展中国家最常见的妇科肿瘤类型之一。研究表明，癌症干细胞在子宫内膜癌的发生发展中起着重要作用。这类细胞是具有高度致瘤性的亚群，具有与正常干细胞相似的特征（无限增殖、多向分化潜能、自我更新、侵袭性、复发倾向以及对化疗和内分泌治疗的抵抗性）。Wnt/β-catenin、Hedghog和Notch1是子宫内膜癌干细胞中最常被激活的信号通路。癌症干细胞的存在与多种机制引起的化疗耐药相关。目前已在该类细胞表面鉴定出多种标志物，包括CD24、CD40、CD44、CD9、CD133和CD166。这些标志物的高表达与更强的致瘤性相关。然而，尚无确凿证据表明任何一种已鉴定的标志物可作为子宫内膜癌干细胞的通用标志物。基因组学和蛋白质组学分析数据的不断积累，为理解人类癌症的分子基础及癌症干细胞的作用提供了新的视角。然而，该领域仍存在大量未知。因此，需要更多研究来全面揭示其功能机制，以预防癌症的发生发展及复发，并提高治疗效果。
Characteristics of Cancer Stem Cells and Their Potential Role in Endometrial Cancer
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家