TY - JOUR
T1 - Emerging role of cancer stem cells in the biology and treatment of ovarian cancer
T2 - Basic knowledge and therapeutic possibilities for an innovative approach
AU - Tomao, Federica
AU - Papa, Anselmo
AU - Rossi, Luigi
AU - Strudel, Martina
AU - Vici, Patrizia
AU - Lo Russo, Giuseppe
AU - Tomao, Silverio
PY - 2013/8/1
Y1 - 2013/8/1
N2 - In 2013 there will be an estimated 22,240 new diagnoses and 14,030 deaths from ovarian cancer in the United States. Despite the improved surgical approach and the novel active drugs that are available today in clinical practice, about 80% of women presenting with late-stage disease have a 5-year survival rate of only 30%. In the last years a growing scientific knowledge about the molecular pathways involved in ovarian carcinogenesis has led to the discovery and evaluation of several novel molecular targeted agents, with the aim to test alternative models of treatment in order to overcome the clinical problem of resistance. Cancer stem cells tend to be more resistant to chemotherapeutic agents and radiation than more differentiated cellular subtypes from the same tissue. In this context the study of ovarian cancer stem cells is taking on an increasingly important strategic role, mostly for the potential therapeutic application in the next future. In our review, we focused our attention on the molecular characteristics of epithelial ovarian cancer stem cells, in particular on possible targets to hit with targeted therapies.
AB - In 2013 there will be an estimated 22,240 new diagnoses and 14,030 deaths from ovarian cancer in the United States. Despite the improved surgical approach and the novel active drugs that are available today in clinical practice, about 80% of women presenting with late-stage disease have a 5-year survival rate of only 30%. In the last years a growing scientific knowledge about the molecular pathways involved in ovarian carcinogenesis has led to the discovery and evaluation of several novel molecular targeted agents, with the aim to test alternative models of treatment in order to overcome the clinical problem of resistance. Cancer stem cells tend to be more resistant to chemotherapeutic agents and radiation than more differentiated cellular subtypes from the same tissue. In this context the study of ovarian cancer stem cells is taking on an increasingly important strategic role, mostly for the potential therapeutic application in the next future. In our review, we focused our attention on the molecular characteristics of epithelial ovarian cancer stem cells, in particular on possible targets to hit with targeted therapies.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84880911745&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84880911745&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/1756-9966-32-48
DO - 10.1186/1756-9966-32-48
M3 - Article
C2 - 23902592
AN - SCOPUS:84880911745
SP - 48
JO - Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research
JF - Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research
SN - 0392-9078
ER -