Advances in the research of osteosarcoma stem cells and its related genes.

ABSTRACT

Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor that often occurs in adolescents. There is an urgent need for new treatment options for osteosarcoma due to its poor prognosis after metastasis. Cancer stem cell (CSC) theory states that CSCs represent a small proportion of cancer cells. These CSC have self-renewal ability and are closely associated with cancer growth and metastasis as well as chemotherapy resistance. Similarly, osteosarcoma stem cells (OSCs) play an important role in the growth, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance of osteosarcoma cells. Targeting OSCs may represent a future treatment of osteosarcoma. Furthermore, some genes have been shown to regulate the growth, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance of osteosarcoma cells by altering the stemness of OSCs. Targeting these genes may help in the treatment of osteosarcoma. This review mainly discusses recent advances in the research of OSCs and their related genes.