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Research Highlights

Nature Reviews Cancer 8, 407 (1 June 2008) | doi:10.1038/nrc2412

Leukaemia: A provoking end?

Nicola McCarthy

There is good evidence that leukaemia-initiating cells (LICs) are responsible for tumour initiation and maintenance, and probably for relapse and resistance to therapy. LICs are thought to be largely quiescent, meaning that they are not affected by therapies that target dividing tumour cells.