Aiming to immune elimination of ovarian cancer stem cells

Figure 3 Hypothesis of specific targeting of primitive cancer stem cells. In a non-immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, Oct4-specific T cells (αOct4 T cell) can recognize the primitive cancer stem cells (CSCs). and destroy them. Progenitor cells (Pro) differentiate to more mature tumor cells and will eventually undergo apoptosis or necrosis. Once some progenitors regain the self-renewal machinery and re-express Oct4 to become a CSC, T cells will also eliminate it. In this way, the tumor loses its ability to generate new tumor cells.