Cancer Stem Cells in Carcinogenesis and Potential Role in Pancreatic Cancer.

Abstract

A poor prognosis is associated with pancreatic cancer because of resistance during treatment and early distant metastases. The discovery of cancer stem cells has opened up novel avenues for research into the biology and treatment of cancer. Many investigations have pointed out the role of these types of stem cells in the oncogenesis and progression of hematologic and solid malignancies, specifically. Due to the existence of cancer stem cells in the proliferation and preservation of pancreatic tumors, such malignancies could be difficult to eradicate using conventional treatment techniques like chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It is hypothesized that pancreatic malignancies originate from a limited population of aberrant cancer stem cells to promote carcinogenesis, tumour metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. This review examines the role of pancreatic cancer stem cells in this disease and their significance in carcinogenesis, as well as the signals which modulate them, and also examines the ongoing clinical studies that are now being conducted with pancreatic stem cells.