Abstract

The contribution of tumorigenic stem cells to haematopoietic cancers has been established for some time, and cells possessing stem-cell properties have been described in several solid tumours. Although chemotherapy kills most cells in a tumour, it is believed to leave tumour stem cells behind, which might be an important mechanism of resistance. For example, the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug transporters have been shown to protect cancer stem cells from chemotherapeutic agents. Gaining a better insight into the mechanisms of stem-cell resistance to chemotherapy might therefore lead to new therapeutic targets and better anticancer strategies.

Author affiliations

1. Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA.
2. Cancer Therapeutics Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA.

Correspondence to: Michael Dean¹ Email: dean@ncifcrf.gov

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