Overview

The existence of ‘cancer stem cells’ (CSCs) has been a topic of heated debate for the last few years within the field of cancer biology. Their continuous characterization in a variety of solid tumors has lead to an abundance of evidence supporting their existence. CSCs are believed to be responsible for resistance against conventional treatment regimes of chemotherapy and radiation, ultimately, leading to metastasis and patient demise. To help aid clinicians, pharmaceutical companies and academic labs investigating how to better kill these highly aggressive cells we have summarized the DNA repair mechanism(s) and their role in the maintenance and regulation of both normal and cancer stem cells. Our book represents a comprehensive investigation into the highly effective DNA repair mechanisms of CSCs and what we need to understand in order to develop more advanced therapies to eradicate them from patients. Currently, there are no other published works entirely on DNA repair and Cancer Stem Cells. In addition, our book provides a comprehensive overview of CSC isolation and characterization from a variety of solid tumor types.