Publication Name	World Journal of Stem Cells
Manuscript ID	122395
DOI	10.4252/wjsc.122395
Country	Türkiye

Category	Oncology
Manuscript Type	Minireviews
Article Title	Cancer stem cell plasticity drives therapy resistance in colorectal cancer
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Uğur Topal, Ahmet Gökhan Saritas and Cihan Zamur
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Uğur Topal, Assistant Professor, Chief, FACS, PhD, Department of Surgical Oncology, Cukurova University, Balcalı Mahallesi, Sarıçam, Adana 01000, Türkiye. sutopal2005@hotmail.com
Key Words	Colorectal cancer; Cancer stem cells; Plasticity; Therapy resistance; Tumor microenvironment; Metastasis
Core Tip	Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are major drivers of therapy resistance, recurrence, and metastasis in colorectal cancer. Increasing evidence indicates that CSC plasticity enables differentiated tumor cells to reacquire stem-like properties, thereby sustaining tumor heterogeneity and therapeutic failure. This review highlights the molecular mechanisms regulating CSC plasticity, including developmental signaling pathways, epigenetic reprogramming, metabolic adaptation, and tumor microenvironment interactions. It also discusses emerging therapeutic strategies targeting CSCs and their plasticity, emphasizing that simultaneous inhibition of stemness and phenotypic switching may improve long-term treatment outcomes.
Citation	Topal U, Saritas AG, Zamur C. Cancer stem cell plasticity drives therapy resistance in colorectal cancer. World J Stem Cells 2026; In press DOI: https://doi.org/10.4252/wjsc.122395
PDF	122395-in-press.pdf

Received	2026-04-17 03:00
Peer-Review Started	2026-04-17 03:01
First Decision by Editorial Office Director
Return for Revision	2026-07-06 08:33
Revised	2026-07-10 19:17
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-08-17 08:55
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-09-15 09:17
Articles in Press	2026-09-15 09:17
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1948-0210 (online)
Open Access	This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
Copyright	©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
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