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...

Renewal of Intestinal Stem Cells

Renewal of Intestinal Stem Cells

The intestinal epithelial lining rapidly renews every 4 to 5 days. The renewal is facilitated by intestinal stem cells (ISCs) located at the base of the crypt– a gland located at the bottom of each villus. ISCs divide asymmetrically to form new stem cells and progenitor daughter cells. The daughter cells are called transit-amplifying (TA) cells which move upwards along the crypt and either differentiate into absorptive cells– the enterocytes or secretory cells– including the goblet,...

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:...

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...

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Global Evolution of Robotic Colorectal Surgery: Lessons from Hong Kong's Innovation and Implementation.

Cancers·2026

Same author

Quality of Patient-Orientated Internet Information on Watch and Wait for Rectal Cancer.

ANZ journal of surgery·2025

Same author

The value of MRI and flexible sigmoidoscopy in detecting tumor regrowth in watch and wait rectal cancer patients undergoing active surveillance after total neoadjuvant therapy.

Surgical endoscopy·2025

Same author

Concurrent robotic colorectal surgical oncology training within a structured mentored international fellowship program.

Journal of robotic surgery·2025

Same author

Assessment of the Quality of Patient-Oriented Internet Information on Fluorescence Imaging in Surgery.

Surgical innovation·2024

Same author

The rise of robotic colorectal surgery: better for patients and better for surgeons.

Journal of robotic surgery·2024

Same journal

A Penny for Your Thoughts.

Diseases of the colon and rectum·2026

Same journal

June 2026 Translations.

Diseases of the colon and rectum·2026

Same journal

Selected Abstracts.

Diseases of the colon and rectum·2026

Same journal

Recurrence After Rectopexy: Insights From Magnetic Resonance Defecography.

Diseases of the colon and rectum·2026

Same journal

Risk of Metabolic Disease After Right- vs Left-Sided Colectomy for Colon Cancer: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Diseases of the colon and rectum·2026

Same journal

Sexual Distress Is Common in Long Term Follow-up After Pelvic Pouch for Ulcerative Colitis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Diseases of the colon and rectum·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Discovery of Driver Genes in Colorectal HT29-derived Cancer Stem-Like Tumorspheres

Discovery of Driver Genes in Colorectal HT29-derived Cancer Stem-Like Tumorspheres

Published on: July 22, 2020

Colorectal cancer stem cells.

Trevor M Yeung¹, Neil J Mortensen

¹Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom. trevoryeung@doctors.org.uk

Diseases of the Colon and Rectum

|December 8, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cancer stem cells drive tumor growth, impacting colorectal cancer treatment. Identifying specific markers like CD133 is crucial for targeted therapies and improved patient outcomes.

More Related Videos

A Three-dimensional Model of Spheroids to Study Colon Cancer Stem Cells

A Three-dimensional Model of Spheroids to Study Colon Cancer Stem Cells

Published on: January 22, 2021

Isolation and Characterization of a Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subpopulation Having Stem Cell Characteristics

Isolation and Characterization of a Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subpopulation Having Stem Cell Characteristics

Published on: May 11, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Discovery of Driver Genes in Colorectal HT29-derived Cancer Stem-Like Tumorspheres

Discovery of Driver Genes in Colorectal HT29-derived Cancer Stem-Like Tumorspheres

Published on: July 22, 2020

A Three-dimensional Model of Spheroids to Study Colon Cancer Stem Cells

A Three-dimensional Model of Spheroids to Study Colon Cancer Stem Cells

Published on: January 22, 2021

Isolation and Characterization of a Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subpopulation Having Stem Cell Characteristics

Isolation and Characterization of a Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subpopulation Having Stem Cell Characteristics

Published on: May 11, 2016

Area of Science:

Oncology
Stem Cell Biology
Gastrointestinal Cancer Research

Background:

The cancer stem cell hypothesis posits that a small tumor cell subpopulation drives tumor growth.
Conventional cancer treatments targeting bulk tumor cells may not effectively eliminate cancer stem cells.
Understanding cancer stem cells is critical for advancing colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

To review evidence supporting cancer stem cells in colorectal cancer.
To evaluate the effectiveness of current cancer stem cell markers.
To discuss the implications for CRC management and therapy.

Main Methods:

Systematic literature search of PubMed using keywords: "colorectal," "cancer," and "stem cells."
Analysis of bibliographies from relevant extracted articles.

Main Results:

CD133 identifies a colorectal tumor cell subpopulation enriched in cancer stem cells.
Only a small fraction (1 in 262) of CD133+ cells initiate tumors, indicating limited specificity.
Current cancer stem cell markers require further investigation for improved characterization.

Conclusions:

More specific markers are needed to accurately identify and characterize colorectal cancer stem cells.
Understanding cancer stem cell distribution and behavior can refine CRC management (screening, prognosis, therapy).
Targeting cancer stem cells offers potential for novel therapeutic strategies in colorectal cancer.