Role of Cancer Stem Cells in Metastasis

Metastasis is the principal cause of death in cancer patients. CSCs are responsible of metastasis in different cancer models since they show increased tumorigenicity and invasiveness. The microenvironment plays a key role in the establishment of CSCs in secondary organs. Within the primary and metastatic niches, there are intricate networks of bidirectional CSC-stroma signaling with multiple feedback loops. Those signals promote metastasis by inducing phenotypical changes in both the cells comprising the niches and the CSCs. The elucidation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate CSC-driven metastasis will provide new anti-metastatic targets and prognostic markers. For example, preventing de novo niche formation may be an efficient strategy for the treatment of metastatic disease. However, to develop such a strategy, it will be crucial to identify the roles of niche components in the metastatic context and distinguish them from those in normal endogenous functions.