Assessing the Hematological Cancer Stem Cell Landscape to Improve Immunotherapy Clinical Decisions

Hematological cancer stem cells (HCSCs) is a subpopulation of cells within hematological cancers that, through their characteristics, enhance malignancy and render their therapy more challenging. By uncovering the underlying mechanisms behind characteristic properties such as self-renewal, immune evasion, and conventional therapy resistance, as well as the major differences between other cancers and physiological cells, new and alternative targets can be assessed for use in existing and novel immunotherapeutic interventions. Through the evaluation of the existing literature, one can realize that there have already been several studies addressing the use of stem cell transplantation (SCT), monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), cell therapies, cancer vaccines, and oncolytic viruses, with varying degrees of success. As such, this study aims to combine existing information and clinical evidence to assess and bring to the spotlight targets related to HCSCs that can be considered for the improvement of therapeutic interventions.