Cancer Stem Cell & Oncology Research

CSCs and Tumor Microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment plays a crucial role in cancer progression and therapy resistance, particularly in relation to cancer stem cells (CSCs). This track explores the complex interactions between CSCs and their microenvironment, including immune cells, fibroblasts, extracellular matrix (ECM), and vasculature. It examines how these components provide essential signals that promote CSC self-renewal, plasticity, and immune evasion, contributing to therapeutic failure. Special attention is given to how hypoxic conditions, metabolic shifts, and inflammatory mediators shape CSC behavior. This research seeks to identify potential therapeutic targets within the microenvironment, offering novel strategies to disrupt CSC survival and tumor propagation. Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing interventions that can reprogram the microenvironment to inhibit CSCs, rather than promote their growth.