Heterogeneity of hepatic cancer stem cells

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers with high mortality rate. It is a heterogeneous cancer with diverse inter- and intra-heterogeneity, also in terms of histology, prognosis, and molecular profiles. A rapidly growing evidence has demonstrated that some HCCs, if not all, were caused by the activation of the cancer stem cells (CSC), a small population within the cancer that is responsible for the initiation and maintenance of cancer growth. Until now, various populations of hepatic CSC with more than ten different phenotypical protein markers, such as CD133, CD90, EpCAM, CD24, and CD13, have been identified and validated in xenotransplantation models. They are associated with risk factors, prognosis, chemo-resistance, and metastasis. This chapter summarizes available data on different hepatic CSC markers for the development of potential future therapy.