Targeting Cancer Stem Cells with Nanoparticle-Enabled Therapies

Emerging evidence suggests that multiple tumor types are sustained by a small population of transformed stem-like cells that have the ability to both self-renew and give rise to non-tumorigenic daughter cells that constitute the bulk of a tumor. These cells, which generally constitute a minority of the overall cancer cell population, are highly resistant to conventional therapies and persist following treatment, leading to disease relapse and the formation of distant metastases. Therapies that disrupt the maintenance and survival of cancer stem cells are the subject of active current investigation. This review discusses recent approaches to the application of nanomedicine to the targeting and elimination of cancer stem cells. Specifically, recent publications in the areas of nanoparticle-enabled drug and nucleic acid delivery and photothermal therapy are addressed.