Isolation and culture of colon cancer stem cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) resemble normal stem cells in several ways. Both cell types are self-renewing and when they divide, one of the daughter cells differentiates while the other retains stem cell properties, including the ability to divide in the same way again. CSCs have been demonstrated to exist in several solid tumors, including colon carcinoma; these cells are able to initiate and sustain tumor growth. There are essentially three different methods to isolate CSCs: establishment culture, the MACS (magnetic cell sorting) technology, and the FACS (fluorescence-activated cell sorting) technology.