There is increasing evidence that malignant tumor is driven by tumorinitiating
cells or cancer stem cells (CSCs) have recently attracted a great number of
considerations for novel cancer therapy. The concept of cancer stem cell (CSCs) is an
appealing model to describe the functional heterogeneity of tumor cells. It suggests a
hierarchical organization of CSCs subpopulation to sustain tumor growth and
metastasis. CSCs could be resistant to standard anti-cancer drugs, which might describe
the limitations of these therapies. So, much work is required to identify and use of CSCs
as a target for anti-cancer treatment. This chapter focuses on the recent advances in the
cancer stem cell field and anticancer drug discovery.
