Cancer continues to pose a significant challenge to global health, resulting in millions of deaths annually despite advancements in treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. A key factor complicating successful outcomes is the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which possess distinctive features that facilitate tumor initiation and progression as well as resistance to therapies. These cells are adept at evading conventional treatments and can hinder the effectiveness of immunotherapy, often manipulating the tumor microenvironment to suppress immune responses. This review delves into the complex interplay between CSCs and immune cells, emphasizing their contributions to tumor heterogeneity and therapeutic resistance. By investigating the CSC niche in which these cells thrive and their complex interactions with the immune system, we aim to reveal new therapeutic avenues that could enhance patient outcomes and minimize the risk of recurrence. CSCs are characterized by remarkable self-renewal and plasticity, allowing them to transition between stem-like and differentiated states in response to various stimuli. Their existence within the CSC niche confers immune protection and maintains stem-like properties while promoting immune evasion. Activating key signaling pathways and specific surface markers is crucial in developing CSC traits, pointing to potential strategies for effective tumor eradication. Conventional therapies often fail to eliminate CSCs, which can lead to tumor recurrence. Therefore, innovative immunotherapeutic strategies such as dendritic cell vaccines (DC vaccines), chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineered T cells, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are under examination. This review sheds light on CSC’s roles across different malignancies, highlighting the necessity for innovative targeted approaches in cancer treatment.
癌症持续对全球健康构成重大挑战，尽管手术、化疗和放疗等治疗手段不断进步，每年仍导致数百万人死亡。影响治疗成功的关键因素在于癌症干细胞的存在，这类细胞具有促进肿瘤发生发展及产生治疗抵抗的独特特性。它们能够逃逸常规治疗手段，并可能通过调控肿瘤微环境抑制免疫应答，从而削弱免疫治疗效果。本综述深入探讨了癌症干细胞与免疫细胞之间复杂的相互作用机制，着重分析其在肿瘤异质性和治疗抵抗中的作用。通过研究癌症干细胞赖以生存的微环境及其与免疫系统的复杂互动，我们旨在揭示能够改善患者预后、降低复发风险的新型治疗途径。癌症干细胞具有卓越的自我更新能力和可塑性，能够响应不同刺激在干细胞样状态与分化状态间转换。它们在特定微环境中的存在不仅获得免疫保护、维持干细胞特性，同时促进免疫逃逸。关键信号通路激活和特定表面标志物表达对癌症干细胞特性的形成至关重要，这为开发有效根除肿瘤的策略指明了方向。常规疗法往往难以清除癌症干细胞，可能导致肿瘤复发。因此，树突状细胞疫苗、嵌合抗原受体T细胞及免疫检查点抑制剂等创新免疫治疗策略正在被深入研究。本综述系统阐述了癌症干细胞在不同恶性肿瘤中的作用，强调了开发创新靶向治疗策略在癌症治疗中的必要性。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家