Roles of microRNAs in Gastrointestinal Cancer Stem Cell Resistance and Therapeutic Development

Resistance to cancer treatment is one of the major challenges currently faced when treating gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. A contributing factor this resistance presence stem cells (CSCs) in GI cancers (e.g., colorectal, pancreatic, gastric, liver cancer). Non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), have been found regulate several key targets that are responsible for stemness, and function oncogenic miRNAs (oncomiRs) or tumor suppressor miRNAs. As a result, alter, be altered by, expression CSC-defining markers their related pathways. These can utilized affect stemness multiple ways, including directly targeting CSCs enhancing efficacy therapeutics. This review highlights current studies regarding roles CSCs, efforts towards development