Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Stem Cells

Background/Objectives: The present article summarizes and analyzes the current knowledge about the role of markers and dysregulated signaling pathways in pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their value for possible therapeutic approaches. Method: An electronic search of PubMed/MEDLINE was used to identify relevant original articles and reviews. Results: Despite significant effort and research funds, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest diseases. Because of the lack of symptoms, the majority of patients presents with advanced stage. Patients with advanced disease will receive systemic therapy. However, such therapy only eradicates tumor bulk, but does not eliminate so-called cancer stem cells. These CSCs are thought to be the cause of resistance, metastasis, and recurrence. This review will focus on recent insights into the biology of pancreatic CSCs. It further highlights the importance of PDAC stem cell markers as prognostic indicators and targets for therapies specifically eliminating PDAC stem cells. Conclusions: Pancreatic CSCs appear to be crucial for the processes of cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Therefore, the understanding of the molecular mechanisms implicated in the biology of CSCs as well as the identification of specific markers may generate novel therapeutic strategies and contribute in the reduction of metastasis.