Comment on "Tumor growth need not be driven by rare cancer stem cells".
Kelly et al. (Brevia, 20 July 2007, p. 337) questioned xenotransplant experiments supporting the cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis because they found a high frequency of leukemia-initiating cells (L-IC) in some transgenic mouse models. However, the CSC hypothesis depends on prospective purification of cells with tumor-initiating capacity, irrespective of frequency. Moreover, we found similar L-IC frequencies in genetically comparable leukemias using syngeneic or xenogeneic models.
Kennedy
James A
JA
Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
Barabé
Frédéric
F
Poeppl
Armando G
AG
Wang
Jean C Y
JC
Dick
John E
JE
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000473:pathology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002469:Cell Separation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous