Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are cells possessing abilities of self-renewal, differentiation, and tumorigenicity in NOD/SCID mice. Based on this definition, multiple cell surface markers (such as CD24, CD133, CD90, and EpCAM) as well as chemical methods are discovered to enrich liver CSCs in the recent decade. Accumulated studies have revealed molecular signatures and signaling pathways involved in regulating different liver CSCs. Among liver CSCs positive for different markers, some molecular features and regulatory pathways are commonly shared, while some are only unique in certain CSC populations. These studies imply that liver CSCs exhibit diverse heterogeneity, while a functional relationship also exists. The aim of this review is to revisit the society of liver CSCs and summarize the common or unique molecular features of known liver CSCs. We hope to call for attention of researchers on the relationship of the liver CSC subgroups and to provide clues on the hierarchical structure of the liver CSC society.

中文翻译：

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肝癌干细胞作为一个等级制社会：是或否？

摘要

癌症干细胞（CSC）是在NOD / SCID小鼠中具有自我更新，分化和致瘤能力的细胞。基于此定义，近十年来发现了多种细胞表面标志物（例如CD24，CD133，CD90和EpCAM）以及化学方法来丰富肝脏CSC。积累的研究揭示了调节不同肝CSC的分子标记和信号通路。在对不同标志物呈阳性的肝CSC中，一些分子特征和调节途径通常共享，而某些仅在某些CSC人群中是唯一的。这些研究表明，肝CSC表现出多种异质性，同时也存在功能关系。这篇综述的目的是重新审视肝脏CSC的社会，并总结已知肝脏CSC的共同或独特的分子特征。