Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2025

Studying Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics for Developing New Treatment Strategies
Published on: June 20, 2015
Cancer Stem Cells and Their Therapeutic Usage
1Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Abstract:
Cancer stem cells (CSC) have unique characteristics which include self-renewal, multi-directional differentiation capacity, quiescence/dormancy, and tumor-forming capability. These characteristics are referred to as the "stemness" properties. Tumor microenvironment contributes to CSC survival, function, and remaining them in an undifferentiated state. CSCs can form malignant tumors with heterogeneous phenotypes mediated by the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, the crosstalk between CSCs and tumor microenvironment can modulate tumor heterogeneity. CSCs play a crucial role in several biological processes, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), autophagy, and cellular stress response. In this chapter, we focused characteristics of cancer stem cells, reprogramming strategies cells into CSCs, and then we highlighted the contribution of CSCs to therapy resistance and cancer relapse and their potential of therapeutic targeting of CSCs.
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration
Types of Stem Cells used in Stem Cell Therapy
The two main cell...
Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells are tissue-specific; hence, they divide to develop the tissue from which they originate. One type of adult stem cell is the epithelial stem cell, which gives rise to the keratinocytes in the multiple layers of epithelial cells in the epidermis of the skin. Adult bone marrow has three distinct types of stem cells:...
Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
Stem Cell Culture

