Cancer Stem Cells as Therapeutic Targets for Gastrointestinal Cancers

Gastrointestinal cancers are the most severe malignancies in the world and tend to be the most prominent cause of cancer mortality. Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer leads to malignant gastrointestinal tract diseases and accessory gastrointestinal organs, namely the esophagus, uterus, kidney, pancreas, small intestine, colon rectum, and anus. And it is believed that “cancer stem cells (CSCs)” are responsible for tumor growth and drug resistance; therefore, radiation tolerance, aggressive growth, metastasis, and tumor relapse are the main causes of cancer-related deaths. Because gastrointestinal CSCs are also considered as resistant to traditional treatments, effective and innovative treatment of cancer is crucial. So, targeting gastrointestinal CSCs is quite difficult. CSCs in a gastrointestinal tumor are identified for the first time in colorectal cancer. Many gastrointestinal cancers are identified later in the esophagus, stomach, liver, and pancreas. Consequently, current basic and translational studies are primarily designed at gaining a better understanding of the biology and these approaches are used to target CSCs. Therefore, recent developments and advancements in the field of GI CSCs can continue to provide new insights into gastrointestinal cancer and its treatment approaches for GI cancer eradication. Hence this chapter reflects on the modern advancements by using CSCs as the main target to eradicate gastrointestinal cancers. Knowledge about CSCs can help to develop new clinical strategies and markers for gastrointestinal cancers.