It has been suggested that the development of
hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is related to the existence
of cancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumor-initiating cells.
Although CSCs populations may be recognized by use of
stem cell markers and/or their functional capacities, their
profiles might be diverse, because of the heterogeneity of
HCC among individuals. Recent studies indicate that
activation of CSCs is related to dysregulation of crucial
molecular signaling pathways able to alter the intrinsic
properties of normal stem cells. This short review describes
the latest evidence of the presence of CSCs, alteration of
several developmental and oncogenic pathways, CSC-
related microRNAs, and drug resistance in HCC. This
information may aid the development of potential novel
therapy targeting CSCs in HCC.
