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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.
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Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

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Tumor Immunotherapy

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Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.

Tumor Progression

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The Tumor Microenvironment

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Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 29, 2026

An In Vitro System to Study Tumor Dormancy and the Switch to Metastatic Growth

An In Vitro System to Study Tumor Dormancy and the Switch to Metastatic Growth

Published on: August 11, 2011

Metastatic tumor cells - genotypes and phenotypes.

Dingcheng Gao¹, Vivek Mittal¹, Yi Ban¹

¹Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065, USA.

Frontiers in Biology

|February 19, 2019

Summary

Understanding cancer metastasis is key to improving survival. This review covers the genetic makeup and characteristics of metastatic cells, including cancer stem cells and epithelial to mesenchymal transition, crucial for cancer spread.

Keywords:

cancer stem cell cellular plasticity circulating tumor cells epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)metastasis phenotype dynamics

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Last Updated: Jan 29, 2026

An In Vitro System to Study Tumor Dormancy and the Switch to Metastatic Growth

An In Vitro System to Study Tumor Dormancy and the Switch to Metastatic Growth

Published on: August 11, 2011

Micromanipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Downstream Molecular Analysis and Metastatic Potential Assessment

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Published on: May 14, 2019

Murine Model of Metastatic Liver Tumors in the Setting of Ischemia Reperfusion Injury

Murine Model of Metastatic Liver Tumors in the Setting of Ischemia Reperfusion Injury

Published on: August 30, 2019

Area of Science:

Oncology
Cancer Biology
Genetics

Background:

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related death.
Understanding the genetic and epigenetic factors driving metastasis is a significant research challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current knowledge on the specific genotype and phenotype of metastatic tumor cells.
To highlight recent advances in understanding the genomic instability and phenotypic dynamics of metastatic cells.

Main Methods:

Review of current scientific literature.
Analysis of genetic and epigenetic data from tumor cells.
Focus on next-generation sequencing insights.

Main Results:

Genetic analysis reveals key insights into metastatic tumor cell genotypes.
Cancer stem cell (CSC) and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes are linked to the metastatic cascade.
Genomic instability and phenotypic plasticity contribute to metastasis.

Conclusions:

Recent advances provide a deeper understanding of metastatic tumor cell biology.
Focusing on genomic instability and phenotypic dynamics is crucial for future research.
Elucidating these mechanisms may lead to improved cancer therapies.