Introduction: Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in spite of screening and vaccination programs. Although high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection is the primary etiologic agent associated with the development of cervical cancer, but cancer stem cells (CSCs) also serve a prominent role in the development, metastasis, recurrence, and prognosis of the disease. CSCs are a small subpopulation of cells that have the ability to self-renew and are present in the majority of tumors, including cervical cancer.
Methods: Chemotherapy is considered as the standard treatment for patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer, and cisplatin appears to treat the disease effectively. cisplatin and radiation were reported to induce the enrichment of CSCs, And in this way, they can enhance the resistance to cancer cells. Signaling pathways (Wnt, Notch, Shh) and pluripotency- connected transcription factors (Oct-4, Nanog) are primarily responsible for cell proliferation. Wnt signaling transduces evolutionarily conserved pathways which play important roles in initiating and regulating a diverse range of cellular activities, including cell proliferation, calcium homeostasis, and cell polarity. Also, Wnt signaling, control stem cell self-renewal and the role of the microenvironment or niche.
Results: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and PPARγ agonists with the potential to inhibit the canonical WNT signaling pathway are candidate agents for chemoprevention
Conclusion: This study aims to discuss the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in targeting CSCs to reduce chemotherapy resistance in HR-HPV positive cervical cancer will focus.Given the prevalence of this cancer in Iran, it is suggested that research into the application of these new therapies based on CSCs be conducted.