Influence of the interaction between tumor microenvironment and liver cancer stem cells on the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma / 临床肝胆病杂志

ABSTRACT

In recent years, liver cancer stem cells (LCSC) have been considered one of the main causes of treatment failure and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Many studies have shown that LCSC are a small fraction of cells with the abilities of self-renewal, differentiation, and tumorigenesis in HCC tumor, which can initiate the onset of HCC and affect its proliferation, invasion, metastasis, recurrence, and drug resistance. Therapies based on tumor microenvironment (TME) have been developed recently, and a number of studies have found that targeting the relevant elements of TME has a higher therapeutic value than targeting tumor cells themselves. TME is the microenvironment for the growth of LCSC and HCC cells, and it interacts with LCSC and has a synergistic effect, thereby playing a positive role in the development and progression of HCC. This article introduces how various cellular components and non-cellular components in TME interact with LCSC to regulate the development and progression of the HCC. In addition, this article also describes the molecular targets, therapies, and drugs associated with the main components of TME and LCSCs, in order to seek safer and more effective targeted therapies for HCC.