Cancer stem cells articles from across Nature Portfolio

DNMT3A is best known for its de novo DNA methyltransferase activity. But a new study shows that the protein also has a role in RNA splicing during activation of embryonic and haematopoietic stem cells. This introduces a new perspective for approaching diseases associated with DNMT3A mutations.

Tumour-initiating cells are resistant to challenging growth conditions during the initiation of pancreatic cancer, but how transformed cells acquire a stress-resistant, tumour-initiating state remains unclear. Here, the authors identify a signalling cascade in which LPAR4 induces fibronectin production, cancer stemness and a tumour-initiating niche.

To understand malignant progression, Yuan et al. delineate the complex crosstalk between cancer stem cells and their microenvironment that is initiated by oncogenic RAS.

PD-1 and PD-L1 are important immune checkpoint molecules that modulate T cell activity. A study now shows that PD-1 marks leukaemia stem cells (LSCs) in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and reveals therapeutic opportunities to target LSCs via anti-PD-1 therapy.