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Cancer

Tumour stem-cell surprises

Nature volume 543, pages 626–627 (2017)Cite this article

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Stem-cell divisions are thought to be essential to tumour growth. Targeted removal of a specific stem-cell population reveals its role in tumour development and in the growth of tumours formed by cell migration to distant sites. See Article p.676

Elimination of cancer stem cells has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy because such cells are considered to be essential to tumour initiation and maintenance1. In the epithelial cells that form the surface layer of the intestine, cells known as crypt base columnar cells that express the receptor protein Lgr5 (Lgr5+ cells) can act as stem cells during intestinal homeostasis2; these are also the cells from which colorectal cancer originates3. On page 676, de Sousa e Melo et al.4 report their analysis of the role of these cells in established tumours.

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Figure 1: Tumour stem cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florian R. Greten is at the Institute for Tumour Biology and Experimental Therapy, Georg-Speyer-Haus, 60596 Frankfurt, Germany.,

    Florian R. Greten

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  1. Florian R. Greten
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Correspondence to Florian R. Greten.

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Greten, F. Tumour stem-cell surprises. Nature 543, 626–627 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/543626a

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