Inflammation-Associated Stem Cells in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Their Utility as Prognostic Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets

TL;DR

This review explores how inflammation and stem cells interact in gastrointestinal cancers, focusing on their roles in disease progression and potential as treatment targets.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of the interplay between inflammatory signals and stem cells in gastrointestinal cancers, a topic not previously covered in detail.

Findings

Inflammatory molecules regulate stem cell activity in the gastrointestinal tract.

Dysregulation of these pathways contributes to gastrointestinal cancer initiation and progression.

Cancer stem cells and their markers show potential as prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets.

Abstract

Stem cells are unique cell types in our body that play a key role in organ development and repair. Various inflammatory molecules act as critical regulators of stem cell activity. The dysregulation of inflammation and stem cell signaling pathways leads to a variety of diseases, including cancer. This review summarizes the role of inflammatory signals in regulating stem cell function within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. We further discuss the studies highlighting the role of stem cells in the initiation and progression of cancers of the GI tract. We also report on various studies that assess the prognostic and therapeutic utility of cancer stem cells and their molecular markers in GI cancers.

Stem cells are critical for the development and homeostasis of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Inflammatory molecules are known to regulate the activity of stem cells. A comprehensive review specifically describing the role of inflammatory molecules in the regulation of stem cells within the GI tract and in GI cancers (GICs) is not available. This review focuses on understanding the role of inflammatory molecules and stem cells in maintaining homeostasis of the GI tract. We further discuss how inflammatory conditions contribute to the transformation of stem cells into tumor-initiating cells. We also describe the molecular mechanisms of inflammation and stem cell-driven progression and metastasis of GICs. Furthermore, we report on studies describing the prognostic value of cancer stem cells and the clinical trials evaluating their therapeutic utility. This review provides a detailed overview on the role of inflammatory molecules and stem cells in maintaining GI tract homeostasis and their implications for GI-related malignancies

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