Natural Products That Target Cancer Stem Cells

Abstract

The occurrence of tumor cells is generally governed by the cluster of cells known as cancer stem cells, which are based on the informative model of cancer tissue consisting of stem cells that do have characteristics like auto-renewal activity and also provide intrinsic mechanisms for survival which are responsible for resistance against tumor cells to most of the drugs used in chemotherapy to cure cancer. During the course of therapy, it is difficult to eliminate CSCs due to which recurrence of tumor and metastasis develops inside the cell. Ongoing studies provide significant information on the particular phenotypic characteristics of cancer stem cells from different tumor types, as well as the signaling system and molecules that undergo auto-renewal and drug resistance. NPs (natural products), which are derivative of botanicals and food sources, may alter important signalling pathways that are involved in the perpetuation of CSC phenotypic traits. The chapter deals with the use of plant products to cure CSCs and their functioning.