Endometrial cancer (EMC) is the one of the most common gynaecological malignancy affecting women. Given that a rare population of epithelial stem cells has been identified in human endometrium, it is possible that these cells or their progency may be the source of the putative cancer stem cells that may initiate and maintain endometrial cancer. Cancer stem cells are defined as a subset of tumor cells with the capacity of self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation ability. Cancer stem cells also have an important role in tumourigenesis and drug resistance in solid tumor. The cancer stem cell hypothesis provides an attractive cellular mechanism to account for the therapeutic refractoriness and dormant behavior. Endometrial cancer stem cells may be located within the tumour cell population which expressing variety of markers on their cell surface. We will isolate and characterized the endometrial cancer stem cells and their role in the development of human endometrial cancer. Furthermore androgens also act on endometrial cancer by interacting with the androgen receptor (AR). Evidence has suggested that endometrial contains androgen receptors (ARs), and androgens/ARs are involved in both normal and cancerous endometrial cell proliferation. However, the specific roles of androgens and the AR in the uterus and in endometrial carcinogenesis are not fully understood. We will further evaluate the AR effect on the endometrial cancer stem cell tumourigenesis and this will opens the way for the development of new treatment modalities that target the cancer stem cell and androgen receptor.
