Cancer Stem Cell

'''Cancer stem cells''' (CSCs) are [[Cancer|cancer]] cells (found within tumors or cancers) which resemble healthy stem cells. They possess characteristics associated with normal stem cells. These tumour-initiating cells are defined by their ability to (i) fully recapitulate the tumor of origin when transplanted, and (ii) self-renew. Both properties suggest that CSCs are required for tumor maintenance and metastasis; thus, it has been predicted that CSC elimination is required for cure. If treatments of cancer do not properly destroy enough CSCs, the tumor will reappear. Recent research showed that some cancer stem cells are governed by the same regulatory pathways as their healthy stem cell counterparts [http://www.nature.com/stemcells/2009/0908/090813/full/stemcells.2009.110.html]. The ability of self-renewal is one of the reasons why they're hard to treat.

Like queen bees in a bee hive, cancer stem cells are constantly replenishing their "hive" of tumor cells. Therapies that kill off the workers may reduce the size of the tumor, but will ultimately be unsuccessful unless they also eliminate the stem cells working behind the scenes. They will suppress the symptoms of the disease, but won't kill the root cause.

== Links ==

* Recent Data From the Laboratory and Clinic about [http://www.nature.com/mt/journal/v17/n2/full/mt2008254a.html Cancer Stem Cell–Directed Therapies]

* Wikipedia Entry for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_stem_cell Cancer Stem Stell]

* The Economist: [http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12202589 Cancer stem cells: The root of all evil?]

* New York Times: [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/health/21canc.html Stem Cells May Be Key to Cancer]

* Nature [http://www.nature.com/stemcells/2009/0908/090813/full/stemcells.2009.110.html Cancer stem cells resemble healthy stem cells, resist chemotherapy]

[[Category:Cancer]]