Cancer Stem Cells and Radioresistance: DNA Repair and Beyond

The current preclinical and clinical findings demonstrate that, in addition to the conventionalclinical and pathological indicators that have a prognostic value in radiation oncology, the number of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their inherent
radioresistance are important parameters for local control after radiotherapy. In this review, we discuss the molecular
mechanisms of CSC radioresistance attributable to DNA repair mechanisms and the development of CSC-targeted therapies for Tumor radiosensitization. We also discuss the current challenges in preclinical and translational CSC research
including the high inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity, plasticity of CSCs, and microenvironmentstimulated tumor cell reprogramming.