Abstract

Many cancers seem to depend on a small population of 'cancer stem cells' for their continued growth and propagation. The leukaemia stem cell (LSC) was the first such cell to be described. The origins of these cells are controversial, and their biology — like that of their normal-tissue counterpart, the haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) — is still not fully elucidated. However, the LSC is likely to be the most crucial target in the treatment of leukaemias, and a thorough understanding of its biology — particularly of how the LSC differs from the HSC — might allow it to be selectively targeted, improving therapeutic outcome.

Author affiliations

1. Brian J. P. Huntly is at the Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
   Email: bhuntly@rics.bwh.harvard.ed
2. D. Gary Gilliland is at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
   Email: ggilliland@rics.bwh.harvard.edu

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