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Prospects of Differentiation Therapy for Cancer Stem Cells

Shigekazu Murakami and Fumio Tashiro

The subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in tumor tissues drives tumorigenesis and causes the infiltration of cancer cells to surrounding tissues. CSCs are considered to induce tumor initiation, progression, and relapse. Conventional chemotherapies eliminate bulk tumors; however, CSCs evade most therapies. We recently showed that differentiation of CSCs in hepatocellular carcinoma diminished malignant phenotypes. The best strategy for CSC-targeting therapy is yet unknown, however, it appears that differentiation therapy would be effective for certain types of tumors. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of CSCs and prospective use of differentiation therapy for cancer stem cells.