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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Establishment of Cancer Stem Cell Cultures from Human Conventional Osteosarcoma

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Published on: October 14, 2016

Stem cells in normal development and cancer.

Rosemarie Chirco D'Angelo¹, Max S Wicha

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science

|November 16, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cancer stem cells drive tumor growth and can arise from normal stem cells or reprogrammed cells. Targeting their self-renewal pathways offers a promising strategy for cancer treatment and prevention.

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Area of Science:

Oncology
Stem Cell Biology

Background:

Tissues originate from organ-specific stem cells with self-renewal and differentiation capacities.
The cancer stem cell hypothesis posits that tumors originate from cells with aberrant self-renewal.
These cancer stem cells may be tissue stem cells or differentiated cells that gain self-renewal abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide an overview of normal and cancer stem cells.
To outline methods for isolating and identifying cancer stem cells.
To examine regulatory pathways and the stem cell niche in cancer, and discuss therapeutic implications.

Main Methods:

Overview of stem cell biology in normal tissues and cancers.
Description of assays for cancer stem cell purification and isolation (e.g., side population assay, flow cytometry, tumorsphere assay, ALDH activity, PKH staining, xenografts).
Examination of signaling pathways (Notch, Hedgehog, HER2/PI3K/Akt/PTEN, p53) and the stem cell niche.

Main Results:

Normal tissues are maintained by organ-specific stem cells.
Cancer stem cells, characterized by dysregulated self-renewal, are proposed to drive tumor formation.
Specific assays and molecular pathways are involved in cancer stem cell identification, maintenance, and regulation.

Conclusions:

Cancer stem cells are crucial for tumor development and progression.
Targeting cancer stem cell-specific pathways and their niche offers potential therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment and prevention.