Targeted Therapy of Tumors and Cancer Stem Cells based on Oxidant-Regulated Redox Pathway and its Mechanism.

A malignant tumor is a frequent and common disease that severely threatens human health. Many mechanisms, such as cell signaling pathway, anti-apoptosis mechanism, cell stemness, metabolism, and cell phenotype, have been studied to explain the reasons for chemotherapy, radioresistance, and tumor recurrences in antitumor treatment. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are important tumor cell subclasses that can potentially organize and regulate stem cell properties. Growing evidence suggests that CSCs can initiate tumors and constitute a significant factor in metastasis, recurrence, and treatment resistance. The inability to completely target and remove CSCs is a considerable obstacle in tumor treatment. Therefore, drugs and therapeutic strategies that can effectively intervene with CSCs are essential for the treatment of different tumor types. However, the current strategies and efficacy of targeted elimination of CSCs are very limited. Oxidative stress has been recognized to play a crucial role in cancer pathophysiology. Moreover, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and imbalance of the built-in cellular antioxidant defense system are hallmarks of tumor and cancer etiology. The current paper will focus on the regulation and mechanism behind oxidative stress in tumors and cancer stem cells and its tumor therapy applications. Additionally, the article discusses the role of CSCs in causing tumor treatment resistance and recurrence based on a redox perspective. The study also emphasizes that targeted modulation of oxidative stress in CSCs has great potential in tumor therapy, providing novel prospects for tumor therapy.