fig1

Figure 1. A: Targeting cancer stem cells: current treatments with conventional chemotherapy are not highly efficient against the cancer stem cells (CSCs) residing in tumors which resist chemotherapy or radiation and post-treatment will undergo self-renewal, differentiation and tumor regrowth or metastasize causing relapse and formation of additional tumors. However, drugs targeting the CSC population (such as celecoxib) can be used to eliminate the CSCs, either by direct cytotoxic effects or by sensitizing these tumor cells to other chemotherapy, resulting in the clonal extinction of the entire tumor cell population; B: The treatment concept of targeting CSCs (also known as the “Dandelion hypothesis”) by analogy proposes that by eliminating the roots (CSC population), the plant (tumor) can not become re-established whereas cutting the flowering stalks, stem or branches away will allow regrowth^[8]