Metabolic Reprogramming and Hyaluronan Production in Cancer Stem Cells

Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are capable of self-renewal and give rise to a malignant progeny that drives cancer development and progression. They are also believed to be responsible for cancer recurrence due to their resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thus, elucidating the molecular mechanisms that govern CSCs could lead to new strategies for targeting cancer progression and recurrence. Emerging evidence revealed the existence of cancer cell plasticity, allowing cells to dynamically revert to a CSC state. Metabolic reprogramming, particularly in carbohydrate metabolism, has been implicated in this cancer cell plasticity. We recently demonstrated that hyaluronan (HA) production plays a role in regulating metabolic programs and CSC-like properties of breast cancer cells. In this review, we present the current evidence on metabolic reprogramming driven by HA production in CSCs.