Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...

Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells

Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells

A stem cell is an unspecialized cell that can divide without limit as needed and can, under specific conditions, differentiate into specialized cells.
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells are tissue-specific; hence, they divide to develop the tissue from which they originate. One type of adult stem cell is the epithelial stem cell, which gives rise to the keratinocytes in the multiple layers of epithelial cells in the epidermis of the skin. Adult bone marrow has three distinct types of stem cells:...

Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration

Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration

Stem cell therapy is a method used in regenerative medicine to repair and restore function to damaged tissues and organs. Stem cells have the potential to proliferate and differentiate into various tissue types, making them ideal candidates for tissue regeneration. For example, hematopoietic stem cell transplants are commonly used in blood cancer treatment to replenish damaged bone marrow and restore healthy blood cells.
Types of Stem Cells used in Stem Cell Therapy
The two main cell types that...

Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that can differentiate into most connective tissue cell types, except for hematopoietic cells, depending upon the source of MSCs. For example, bone-marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) can differentiate into osteocytes, hepatocytes, and pancreatic and neuronal cells. MSCs can be isolated from various sources such as bone marrow, placenta, adipose tissue, teeth, and Wharton’s jelly, a gelatinous substance in the umbilical cord. The ease of their access...

Adult Stem Cells

Adult Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce more stem cells or progenitor cells that differentiate into mature, specialized cell types. All the cells in the body are generated from stem cells in the early embryo, but small populations of stem cells are also present in many adult tissues including the bone marrow, brain, skin, and gut. These adult stem cells typically produce the various cell types found in that tissue—to replace cells that are damaged or to continuously renew...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA stability in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Frontiers in immunology·2026

Same author

Identification of <i>BRCA2</i> Likely Germline Pathogenic Variants in Patients with Multiple Primary Lung Adenocarcinomas.

Oncology research·2026

Same author

Proof-of-Concept of a DNA-Based Recording System for High-Throughput Functional Gene Screening.

ACS synthetic biology·2026

Same author

Genomic Alteration Patterns Across Histological Grades in BRAF p.V600E-Mutant Gliomas and Glioneuronal Tumors: An Analysis of 15 Cases.

Pathology international·2026

Same author

Genomic Profiling in Localized Prostate Cancer: Associations With Biochemical Recurrence and Response to Salvage Radiotherapy.

Cancer science·2026

Same author

Depleting HIF‑1α attenuates the progression of osteosarcoma, but tumorigenicity is sustained through HIF‑independent pathways.

Oncology reports·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Obtaining Cancer Stem Cell Spheres from Gynecological and Breast Cancer Tumors

Obtaining Cancer Stem Cell Spheres from Gynecological and Breast Cancer Tumors

Published on: March 1, 2020

Breast cancer stem cells.

Kazuharu Kai¹, Yoshimi Arima, Toshio Kamiya

¹Division of Gene Regulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinano-machi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.

Breast Cancer (Tokyo, Japan)

|October 7, 2009

Summary

Researchers identified human breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) using cell surface markers. These BCSCs exhibit higher oxidative stress gene expression, potentially explaining their resistance to cancer therapy.

More Related Videos

Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples

Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples

Published on: October 2, 2020

Mammosphere Formation Assay from Human Breast Cancer Tissues and Cell Lines

Mammosphere Formation Assay from Human Breast Cancer Tissues and Cell Lines

Published on: March 22, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Obtaining Cancer Stem Cell Spheres from Gynecological and Breast Cancer Tumors

Obtaining Cancer Stem Cell Spheres from Gynecological and Breast Cancer Tumors

Published on: March 1, 2020

Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples

Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples

Published on: October 2, 2020

Mammosphere Formation Assay from Human Breast Cancer Tissues and Cell Lines

Mammosphere Formation Assay from Human Breast Cancer Tissues and Cell Lines

Published on: March 22, 2015

Area of Science:

Oncology
Cell Biology

Background:

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a focus in solid tumor research, including breast cancer.
Human breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) have been isolated from clinical samples.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify and characterize human breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs).
To understand the biological properties of BCSCs, particularly their resistance to therapy.

Main Methods:

Analysis of cell surface markers (CD24 and CD44).
Xenotransplant models.
Assay for aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) activity.
Gene expression analysis of oxidative stress-responsive genes.

Main Results:

A subpopulation of human BCSCs identified as CD24-negative/CD44-positive with high ALDH1 activity was isolated.
BCSCs are proposed to originate from basal cells in mammary glands.
BCSCs express higher levels of oxidative stress-responsive genes compared to non-CSCs.

Conclusions:

The identified BCSCs possess characteristics that may contribute to therapeutic resistance.
Understanding BCSCs' biological properties is crucial for developing novel breast cancer therapies targeting CSC maintenance factors.