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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.

Sec. Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1643183

This article is part of the Research TopicNovel Anti-Cancer Agents Targeting Tumour Metastasis and Stemness - Volume IIView all 3 articles

Novel Drug Research and Therapeutic Strategies Targeting Tumor Metastasis and Cancer Stem Cells

Provisionally accepted
Sicong XieSicong XieZhiyi ZhouZhiyi ZhouYu ZhengYu ZhengChenshuo YuChenshuo YuWeihan KongWeihan KongYushan ChenYushan ChenWenzhe SiWenzhe SiFei ZhouFei ZhouZixuan YangZixuan YangRuoxuan NiRuoxuan NiYang ZhangYang Zhang*Cheng ChangCheng Chang*
  • School of Acupuncture and Massage, School of Health and Rehabilitation, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China

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Cancer metastasis and stem cells (CSCs) drive resistance and most cancer deaths. Novel agents like Thiolatia (PSMD14 inhibitor) suppress metastasis and enhance chemotherapy efficacy. Sulfarotene targets tumor-repopulating cells in liver cancer with low toxicity. PTC 209 utilizes the high affinity of modified hyaluronic acid nanoparticles for colorectal cancer to reverse CSC stemness in colorectal cancer. Platinum hybrids (HY1-Pt, Salvigenin-Pt) overcome resistance through dual mechanisms. Natural compound Cantharidin inhibits metastasis but requires toxicity optimization. These strategies emphasize specificity, nanodelivery, and combination therapies to reduce toxicity and resistance, highlighting precision oncology potential. Clinical validation remains critical for translation.

Keywords: cancer metastasis, cancer stem cells, targeted therapy, Nanoparticle delivery, Drug Resistance

Received: 08 Jun 2025; Accepted: 05 Sep 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Xie, Zhou, Zheng, Yu, Kong, Chen, Si, Zhou, Yang, Ni, Zhang and Chang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Yang Zhang, School of Acupuncture and Massage, School of Health and Rehabilitation, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
Cheng Chang, School of Acupuncture and Massage, School of Health and Rehabilitation, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary Material