UC Davis

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are found in many cancer types, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). CSCs initiate cancer formation and are linked to metastasis and resistance to therapies. Studies have revealed that several distinct CSC populations coexist in SCC and that tumor initiation and metastatic potential of these populations can be uncoupled. Therefore, it is critical to understand CSC biology to develop novel CSC-targeted therapies for patients with SCC with poor prognoses. This review compares the properties of CSCs in SCC with normal stem cells in the skin, summarizes current advances and characteristics of CSCs, and considers the challenges for CSC-targeted treatment of SCC.