Emerging role of microRNAs in cancer stem cells: Implications in cancer therapy

Figure 2 MicroRNAs affect and regulate the key properties of cancer stem cells. Tumor microenvironment influences the maintenance and properties of CSCs. Secreted growth factors and cytokines from cancer cells, hypoxia, oncogene activation, DNA damage, errors in DNA repair and aberrant microRNA expression modify cancer cell functions by increasing the self-renewability, cell cycle exit and differentiation, epitheilal-to-mesenchymal transition, migration, invasion and survival rate in CSCs thus promote cancer progression and or tumor recurrence. CSCs: Cancer stem cells.