Abstract: Cancer stem cells(CSC) are a small group of cells with stem cell properties that are located in the tumor tissue. Ovarian cancer stem cells have four main features include self-renewing，multi-differentiating potential, strong proliferative ability and chemoresistance. Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate and poorest prognosis in gynecological malignant tumors. It has been considered, subset of cancer cells has acquired stem cell properties which causes the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic. Many studies show that there are subsets of cancer stem cells in fast-growing tumor cells in mice and these cells have various abilities of differentiation and resistance to chemotherapeutic. Thus, it plays an important role for therapy that gaining insight into the biological characteristics, surface markers of cancer stem cells and how to target in the treat of cancer stem cells. This review will highlight the research and clinical application of the ovarian cancer stem cells.

Key words: Ovarian neoplasms, Carcinoma, Neoplastic stem cells, Tumor markers, biological, Drug resistance