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What is Cancer?

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Cells and tissues must meticulously coordinate their activities for the normal functioning of the human body. Therefore, they exhibit socially responsible behavior - resting, growing, dividing, differentiating, or dying - for the organism’s benefit. Cancer arises when cells divide uncontrollably and invade other tissues or organs.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Tumorsphere Derivation and Treatment from Primary Tumor Cells Isolated from Mouse Rhabdomyosarcomas

Tumorsphere Derivation and Treatment from Primary Tumor Cells Isolated from Mouse Rhabdomyosarcomas

Published on: September 13, 2019

Mommy - where do tumors come from?

Ervin H Epstein¹

¹Children’s Hospital of Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California, USA. eepstein@chori.org

The Journal of Clinical Investigation

|April 27, 2011

Summary

Identifying the cell of origin for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is crucial. Studies suggest BCCs may originate from hair follicle stem cells, but these cells might need to leave their niche to form tumors.

Area of Science:

Oncology
Dermatology
Stem Cell Biology

Background:

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common human cancer.
Identifying the cell of origin for BCC is critical for understanding its pathogenesis.
Previous studies have explored various potential cell origins for BCC.

Discussion:

This study investigates the origin of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) using engineered mouse models.
Evidence suggests that hair follicle stem cells can be the cell of origin for BCC.
These stem cells acquire oncogenic mutations within their niche but may need to migrate out to initiate tumor formation.

Key Insights:

Hair follicle stem cells are a potential cell of origin for basal cell carcinoma.
Oncogenic mutations can occur in stem cells while they reside in their niche.

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Tumorigenesis may require stem cells to exit their niche after acquiring mutations.

Outlook:

Further research is needed to confirm these findings in human BCC.
Understanding the cell of origin could lead to targeted therapies for BCC.
Investigating stem cell niche dynamics in cancer development is a promising area.