SCIENCE

Up to 90% of cancer-related deaths can be attributed to the development of treatment resistance, with 70% of aggressive cancers exhibiting resistance to conventional treatment. The primary culprits are Cancer Stem Cells (CSC), a tumours subpopulation with the capacity of self-renewal and differentiation, known to participate in tumor initiation, progression and metastasis. CSC are hard to eradicate and contribute to cancer relapse even years after therapy cessation. CSC reside within immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments that hinders the normal functioning of patients' own immune cells and impairs their ability to recognize and eliminate cancer cells effectively. Although significant progress has been made in the development of immunotherapies, current therapies are not specifically targeted against CSC and their protective tumor microenvironment.