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Related Concept Videos

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance02:40

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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.
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Epigenetic Regulation01:37

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Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
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The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...
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The hematopoietic stem cells or HSCs are multipotent, meaning they can differentiate and give rise to all blood and immune cells. HSCs are maintained in the quiescent stage until an external stimulus initiates their differentiation. The multipotent HSCs exist as two heterogeneous populations, long-term repopulating cells (LTRC) and short-term repopulating cells (STRC). The two HSC populations have different surface markers or receptors and are classified based on quiescence and long-term...
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The stem cell niche is the dynamic microenvironment where stem cells reside. Inside these niches, the cells may remain undifferentiated, undergo high self-renewal, or become lineage-specific progenitors. Stem cells coexist with other niche cells, such as stromal cells. They also interact closely with the ECM. Cell-cell and cell-matrix communication occur via adhesion molecules or soluble factors that signal the stem cells and determine their fate. Stromal cells also provide survival signals to...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 21, 2025

An In Vitro Dormancy Model of Estrogen-sensitive Breast Cancer in the Bone Marrow: A Tool for Molecular Mechanism Studies and Hypothesis Generation
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Epigenetic dynamics in cancer stem cell dormancy.

Alejandra I Ferrer1, Jonathan R Trinidad2, Oleta Sandiford1

  • 1Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.

Cancer Metastasis Reviews
|May 13, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Cancer stem cells drive tumor growth and relapse. Epigenetic changes like DNA methylation and oxidation in these cells contribute to breast cancer and glioblastoma aggressiveness, especially when dormant.

Keywords:
Bone marrowBreast cancerCancer stem cellsDormancyEpigeneticsGlioblastoma multiformeTET

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Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Epigenetics
  • Cancer Stem Cell Biology

Background:

  • Cancer remains a major health challenge, with cancer stem cells (CSCs) playing a critical role in tumor initiation, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance.
  • CSCs possess self-renewal and differentiation capabilities and can enter a dormant state, contributing to tumor relapse.
  • Both genetic and epigenetic alterations are fundamental to cancer development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of epigenetic dynamics, specifically DNA methylation and DNA oxidation, in the context of cancer stem cells.
  • To explore the implications of these epigenetic mechanisms in the progression and aggressiveness of breast cancer and glioblastoma multiforme.
  • To highlight how the quiescent (dormant) state of CSCs influences the distinct tumorigenic behaviors observed in these two cancer types.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on epigenetic modifications in cancer stem cells.
  • Analysis of studies investigating DNA methylation and DNA oxidation in breast cancer and glioblastoma.
  • Synthesis of information regarding the dormancy of cancer stem cells and its impact on tumor aggressiveness.

Main Results:

  • Epigenetic alterations, including DNA methylation and oxidation patterns, are crucial for the function and behavior of cancer stem cells.
  • The capacity of CSCs to enter a dormant state is a key factor in their resistance to conventional therapies and their potential for relapse.
  • Distinct epigenetic dynamics contribute to the varying aggressiveness of breast cancer and glioblastoma, linked to CSC dormancy.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic regulation of cancer stem cells, particularly through DNA methylation and oxidation, is central to understanding cancer progression and therapeutic challenges.
  • The dormant state of cancer stem cells, influenced by epigenetic factors, significantly impacts treatment outcomes and disease recurrence in breast cancer and glioblastoma.
  • Targeting epigenetic mechanisms within cancer stem cells may offer novel therapeutic strategies for managing aggressive cancers like breast cancer and glioblastoma.