| Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a unique population in the tumor, but they only
comprise 2%–5% of the tumor bulk. Although CSCs share several features with
embryonic stem cells, CSCs can give rise to the tumor cells. CSCs overexpress
embryonic transcription factor NANOG, which is downregulated in differentiated
tissues. This transcription factor confers CSC's stemness, unlimited self‐renewal,
metastasis, invasiveness, angiogenesis, and drug‐resistance with the assistance of
WNT, OCT4, SOX2, Hedgehog, BMI‐1, and other complexes. NANOG facilitates CSCs
development via multiple pathways, like angiogenesis and lessening E‐cadherin
expression levels, which paves the road for metastasis. Moreover, NANOG represses
apoptosis and leads to drug‐resistance. This review aims to highlight the
pivotal role of NANOG and the pertained pathways in CSCs. Also, this current study
intends to demonstrate that targeting NANOG can dimmish the CSCs, sensitize the
tumor to chemotherapy, and eradicate the cancer cells. |