Traditional therapeutic approaches in the treatment of cancer have many side effects and are often ineffective and non-specific, leading to the development of therapy-resistant tumour cells. Recently, numerous discoveries about stem cells have given a new outlook on their application in oncology. Stem cells are unique because of their biological attributes, including self-renewal, differentiation in different types of specialized cells and synthesis of molecules that interplay with tumour niche. They are already used as an effective therapeutic option for haematological malignancies, such as multiple myeloma and leukaemia. The main goal of this study is to investigate the possible applications of different types of stem cells in cancer treatment and to summarize novel advances, as well as the limitations of their application in cancer treatment. Research and clinical trials that are underway revealed and confirmed the enormous potential of regenerative medicine in the treatment of cancer, especially when combined with different nanomaterials. Nanoengineering of stem cells has been the focus of novel studies in the area of regenerative medicine, such as the production of nanoshells and nanocarriers that enhance the transport and uptake of stem cells in their targeted tumour niche and enable the effective monitoring of stem cell effects on tumour cells. Although nanotechnology has a lot of limitations, it provides new opportunities for the development of effective and innovative stem cell therapies.
Keywords: Stem cells; cancer treatment; cellular therapy and regenerative medicine; gene therapy; genetically modified stem cells, antitumor vaccines.