Dear Colleagues,

Cancer tissues basically consist of a heterogeneous cell population, in which small subpopulations of cancer stem cells (CSCs) are present. CSCs were initially shown in the bone marrow of AML patients and have since been identified in various solid tumors of cancers. Like normal stem cells, CSCs have a long lifetime and show quiescent characteristics of the dormant state within a special microenvironment. CSCs have the capacity for self-renewal, giving rise to undifferentiated and differentiated cancer cells in response to altered microenvironmental stimuli.

In addition, CSCs are highly resistant to apoptosis and chemotherapy. Therefore, the presence of CSCs makes cancer treatment difficult. Although treatment strategies targeting CSCs are expected, there is no consensus regarding CSC phenotype from different tumor types. Therefore, molecular targeted treatment is difficult. In this situation, it is necessary to understand previously known properties of CSCs and further elucidate the characteristics of CSCs.

The Special Issue, entitled "Molecular Biology of Cancer Stem Cells", aims to provide a research platform for the collection of the latest original and review articles covering molecular biological studies of factors related to the control of CSC characteristics and action mechanisms of anti-cancer drugs which are targeted them.

Associate Prof. Dr. Masami Nozaki
Guest Editor

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• Proliferation
• Sphere formation
• Apoptosis
• Metastasis
• Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
• Recurrence
• Microenvironment
• Targeted drugs