Identified key mechanisms in the biology of cancer stem cells

Although many ABC transporters have been identified as drug resistance proteins, they may play an additional role regulating the traffic of endogenous or other physiological substrates. Particularly, ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters are highly conserved in normal stem cells, and may shield the stem compartment from the action of a series of ligands involved in signal transduction. Now, we have identified how the highly conserved Sonic Hedgehog (Hh) pathway can be modulated through the activity of ABCG2 in SP cells with stem-like properties. This upstream regulation of Hh signaling intermediate levels might preserve the stemness of the SP compartment. Cytometry Part A, 2011

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