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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:...

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...

Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

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

Stem cells in human breast cancer.

Lucinei Roberto Oliveira¹, Stefanie S Jeffrey, Alfredo Ribeiro-Silva

¹Department of Pathology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Campus Universitário Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.

Histology and Histopathology

|January 8, 2010

Summary

Cancer is increasingly viewed as a stem cell-based disease. Breast cancer may arise from mammary stem cells and breast cancer stem cells (CSCs), impacting recurrence and treatment resistance.

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Obtaining Cancer Stem Cell Spheres from Gynecological and Breast Cancer Tumors

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Published on: March 1, 2020

Area of Science:

Oncology
Stem Cell Biology
Breast Cancer Research

Background:

Growing evidence supports cancer as a stem cell-based disease.
Breast cancer is proposed to originate from and be maintained by mammary stem cells and breast cancer stem cells (CSCs).
CSCs are implicated in cancer recurrence and treatment failure due to their quiescence and drug resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the current understanding of stem cells and CSCs in the context of breast cancer.
To discuss the identification, isolation, and functional significance of mammary stem cells and breast CSCs.
To explore the implications of the CSC hypothesis for breast cancer susceptibility, prognosis, and therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

Identification and purification of mammary stem cells and breast CSCs using in vitro culture systems and transplantation assays.
Utilization of cell surface antigen identification and markers for functional isolation of stem cells.
Comparison of gene expression pathways between breast CSCs and normal stem cells.

Main Results:

Mammary stem cells and breast CSCs have been identified and purified.
Cell surface markers are crucial for isolating stem cells capable of initiating and propagating tumorigenesis.
CSCs' intrinsic properties like quiescence and drug resistance contribute to cancer recurrence and treatment failure.

Conclusions:

The cancer stem cell hypothesis offers critical insights into breast carcinogenesis.
Understanding mammary stem cells and breast CSCs is vital for developing novel breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies.
Further research is needed to identify reliable breast cell-lineage markers and therapeutic targets.