Stemness in Cancer: Stem Cells, Cancer Stem Cells, and Their Microenvironment

Stemness in Cancer: Stem Cells, Cancer Stem Cells, and Their Microenvironment

Stemness combines the ability of a cell to perpetuate its lineage, to give rise to differentiated cells, and to interact with its environment to maintain a balance between quiescence, proliferation, and regeneration. While adult Stem Cells display these properties when participating in tissue homeostasis, Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) behave as their malignant equivalents. CSCs display stemness in v...

Cancer stem cells: therapeutic targets

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified as rare cellular populations in many cancers, including leukemia and solid tumors. This minor subpopulation of cancerous cells is immortal tumor-initiating cells which thought to be responsible for cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, recurrence and drug/radiation resistance. Low proliferative rate, high self-renewing capacity, differentiatio...

A Glance into Cancer Stem Cells

The presence of stem cells in leukemia and solid tumors has been demonstrated in recent decades. Cancer stem cells have the potency of tumorigenesis; furthermore, they have the ability of self-renewing and differentiation like other stem cells. They also play important role in the process of tumor invasion and metastasis. Several studies have been performed to discover the spe...

Cancer Stem Cells and Their Microenvironment: Biology and Therapeutic Implications

Tumor consists of heterogeneous cancer cells including cancer stem cells (CSCs) that can terminally differentiate into tumor bulk. Normal stem cells in normal organs regulate self-renewal within a stem cell niche. Likewise, accumulating evidence has also suggested that CSCs are maintained extrinsically within the tumor microenvironment, which includes both cellular and physical factors. Here, w...

The Microenvironment of Breast Cancer Stem Cells