Cancer stemness is recognized as a key component of tumor development. Previously coined “cancer stem cells” (CSCs) and believed to be a rare population with rigid hierarchical organization, there is good evidence to suggest that these cells exhibit a plastic cellular state influenced by dynamic CSC-niche interplay. This revelation underscores the need to reevaluate the hallmarks of cancer stemness. Herein, we summarize the techniques used to identify and characterize the state of these cells and discuss their defining and emerging hallmarks, along with their enabling and associated features. We also highlight potential future directions in this field of research.

癌症干性被认为是肿瘤发展的关键组成部分。以前创造的“癌症干细胞”(CSC) 被认为是具有严格等级组织的稀有群体，有充分的证据表明这些细胞表现出受动态 CSC-利基相互作用影响的可塑性细胞状态。这一发现强调了重新评估癌症干性特征的必要性。在此，我们总结了用于识别和表征这些细胞状态的技术，并讨论了它们的定义和新兴标志，以及它们的启用和相关特征。我们还强调了该研究领域未来潜在的方向。