[Cancer stem cells in prostate cancer].

ABSTRACT

The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis shows that tumors contain a reservoir of self-renewing cells that maintain the tumor. Such cancer cells were first identified in leukemia in the 1990s. These cells appear to be resistant to various therapies and can survive to repopulate the tumor. Therefore, this concept has important therapeutic implications for recurrence and metastasis. In this review, we introduce the CSC hypothesis and the origin, method of identification and functions of prostate CSCs. In addition, we review the therapeutic challenges of targeting prostate CSCs.