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Updated: May 18, 2026
07:03
Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples
Published on: October 2, 2020
Can breast cancer stem cells evade the immune system?
George R Nahas1, Shyam A Patel, Sarah A Bliss
1UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine, Camden, NJ, USA.
Current Medicinal Chemistry
|September 12, 2012
Summary
Cancer stem cells share self-renewal pathways with normal stem cells, presenting therapeutic challenges. Understanding cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their immune evasion is crucial for developing effective cancer treatments.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Growing evidence supports the stem cell theory of cancer.
- Cancer stem cells (CSCs) share self-renewal mechanisms with normal stem cells.
- Leukemia stem cells and breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) exemplify this concept.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of tumor immune evasion.
- To explore the role of stem cells, cancer stem cells, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in immune evasion.
- To highlight the therapeutic implications of CSC self-renewal and survival characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of stem cell theory in cancer.
- Analysis of CSC properties, including self-renewal and survival.
- Examination of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their immune interactions.
- Review of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor progression.
Main Results:
- Stem cells and CSCs exhibit parallel self-renewal pathways.
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess drug efflux properties and immune-suppressive capabilities.
- Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is implicated in metastasis and immune evasion.
Conclusions:
- Understanding CSC self-renewal and survival mechanisms is vital for cancer treatment development.
- CSC interactions with the immune system and EMT contribute to tumor progression and immune evasion.
- Targeting CSCs and their associated pathways offers potential therapeutic strategies.
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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 are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
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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...
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A stem cell is an unspecialized cell that can divide without limit as needed and can, under specific conditions, differentiate into specialized cells.
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