Purpose: Colorectal cancers are composed of heterogeneous cell populations in the concepts of genetic and functional degrees that among them cancer stem cells are identified with their self-renewal and stemness capability mediating primary tumorigenesis, metastasize, therapeutic resistance, and tumor recurrence. Therefore, understanding the key mechanisms of stemness in colorectal cancer stem cells (CRCSCs) provides opportunities to discover new treatments or improve existing therapeutic regimens.
Methods: We review the biological significance of stemness and the results of potential CRCSC-based targeted immunotherapies. Then, we pointed out the barriers to targeting CRCSCs in vivo and highlight new strategies based on synthetic and biogenic nanocarriers for the development of future anti-CRCSC trials.
Results: The CSCs' surface markers, antigens, neoantigens, and signaling pathways supportive CRCSCs or immune cells that are interacted with CRCSCs could be targeted by immune monotherapy or in formulation with developed nanocarriers to overcome the resistant mechanisms in immune evader CRCSCs.
Conclusion: Identification molecular and cellular cues supporting stemness in CRCSCs and their targeting by nanoimmunotherpy can improve the efficacy of existed therapies or explore novel therapeutic options in future.
Keywords: Cancer; Immunotherapy; Nanomedicine; Stemness; Tumor microenvironment.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.