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The origin of the cancer stem cell: current controversies and new insights

Nature Reviews Cancer volume 5, pages 899–904 (2005)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 01 December 2005

Abstract

Most tumours are derived from a single cell that is transformed into a cancer-initiating cell (cancer stem cell) that has the capacity to proliferate and form tumours in vivo. However, the origin of the cancer stem cell remains elusive. Interestingly, during development and tissue repair the fusion of genetic and cytoplasmic material between cells of different origins is an important physiological process. Such cell fusion and horizontal gene-transfer events have also been linked to several fundamental features of cancer and could be important in the development of the cancer stem cell.

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Figure 1: Mutations in stem cells and/or progenitor cells might give rise to cancer stem cells.
Figure 2: Fusion of cells under physiological conditions.
Figure 3: Cell fusion, a potential mechanism of cellular transdifferentiation.
Figure 4: Cell fusion in the context of tumour progression.
Figure 5: Cancer initiation and progression mediated by horizontal gene-transfer phenomena.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the Norwegian Cancer Society, the Norwegian Research Council, Centre Recherche Public Santé, Luxembourg, Helse Vest Haukeland Hospital, Bergen, Norway, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, and the Stop Cancer Foundation, California, USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Biomedicine, NorLux Neuro-Oncology, University of Bergen, Norway and NorLux Neuro-Oncology, Centre de Recherche Public Santé, 84 Val Fleuri, L-1526, Luxembourg and Centre Hospitalier, Luxembourg, L-1526

    Rolf Bjerkvig, Berit B. Tysnes & A. J. A. Terzis

  2. the Divisions of Hematology/Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Neurosciences, the City of Hope National Medical Center and the Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, 91010, California, USA

    Karen S. Aboody & Joseph Najbauer

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  1. Rolf Bjerkvig
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Correspondence to Rolf Bjerkvig.

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DATABASES

Entrez Gene

BMI1

CD44

CD47

CXCR4

IL-4

PTPNS1

SDF1

National Cancer Institute

AML

glioma

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Bjerkvig, R., Tysnes, B., Aboody, K. et al. The origin of the cancer stem cell: current controversies and new insights. Nat Rev Cancer 5, 899–904 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc1740

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