Review
Nature Reviews Cancer 3, 895-902 (December 2003) | doi:10.1038/nrc1232
Focus on: Stem Cells
Applying the principles of stem-cell biology to cancer
Ricardo Pardal1, Michael F. Clarke2 & Sean J. Morrison1 About the authors
Abstract
Why are tumours heterogeneous, in terms of cell phenotype and proliferative potential, even in cases in which all cells are derived from a single clone? Ongoing mutagenesis can partially explain this heterogeneity, but it also seems that some tumours arise from small populations of 'cancer stem cells' that give rise to phenotypically diverse cancer cells, with less proliferative potential. These cancer stem cells are likely to arise from mutations that dysregulate normal stem-cell self-renewal. Using this information, it might be possible to devise more effective therapies.
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Author affiliations
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, 3215 CCGC, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0934, USA.
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, 4310 CCGC, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0936, USA.
Correspondence to: Sean J. Morrison1 Email: seanjm@umich.edu
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