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REVIEW ARTICLE

Formulation of nanomedicine as a therapeutic candidate for multidrug-resistant cancer stem cells

Shogo Ozawa1*
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1 Department of Pharmacodynamics and Molecular Genetics, School of Pharmacy, Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Iwate, Japan
IMO, 025520080 https://doi.org/10.36922/IMO025520080
Received: 26 December 2025 | Revised: 9 February 2026 | Accepted: 13 February 2026 | Published online: 16 March 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) express specific antigens associated with stemness. CSCs derived from solid tumors are resistant to various anticancer agents. Given that the spectrum of drug resistance in CSCs is not well understood, literature searches using various keyword combinations were performed to investigate whether CSCs residing in solid cancers are innately resistant to both lipophilic (e.g., P-glycoprotein substrates) and hydrophilic (e.g., non-P-glycoprotein substrates) substances. Current literature suggests that solid CSCs are more likely to acquire multidrug resistance; that is, they are significantly more likely to resist a wide variety of low-molecular-weight anticancer drugs regardless of whether these drugs are P-glycoprotein substrates. The present review further delineates emerging evidence on the use of nanomedicine to eradicate CSCs.

Keywords
Cancer stem cells
Drug resistance
P-glycoprotein
Solid cancer
Nanomedicine
Eradication of cancer stem cells
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The author declares no conflict of interest.
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Innovative Medicines & Omics, Electronic ISSN: 3060-8740 Print ISSN: 3060-8910, Published by AccScience Publishing
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