Clinical relevance of stem cells in lung cancer

HORACIO E. ROMEO, MARIA LAURA BARREIRO ARCOS

World Journal of Stem cells

Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

Lugar: Pleasanton, CA 94566; Año: 2023 vol. 15 p. 576 - 588

Lung cancer is the major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, it has one ofthe lowest 5-year survival rate, mainly because it is diagnosed in the late stage ofthe disease. Lung cancer is classified into two groups, small cell lung cancer(SCLC) and non-SCLC (NSCLC). In turn, NSCLC is categorized into three distinctcell subtypes: Adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma.NSCLC is the most common lung cancer, accounting for 85% of all lungcancers. Treatment for lung cancer is linked to the cell type and stage of thedisease, involving chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Despiteimprovements in therapeutic treatments, lung cancer patients show high rates ofrecurrence, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy. Lung stem cells (SCs) areundifferentiated cells capable of self-renewal and proliferation, are resistant tochemotherapy and radiotherapy and, due to their properties, could be involved inthe development and progression of lung cancer. The presence of SCs in the lungtissue could be the reason why lung cancer is difficult to treat. The identificationof lung cancer stem cells biomarkers is of interest for precision medicine usingnew therapeutic agents directed against these cell populations. In this review, wepresent the current knowledge on lung SCs and discuss their functional role in theinitiation and progression of lung cancer, as well as their role in tumor resistanceto chemotherapy.