Pancreatic cancer stem cells: fact or fiction?
The terms cancer-initiating or cancer stem cells have been the subject of great interest in recent years. In this review we will use pancreatic cancer as an overall theme to draw parallels with historical findings to compare to recent reports of stem-like characteristics in pancreatic cancer. We will cover such topics as label-retaining cells (side-population), ABC transporter pumps, telomerase, quiescence, cell surface stem cell markers, and epithelial-mesenchymal transitions. Finally we will integrate the available findings into a pancreatic stem cell model that also includes metastatic disease.
Bhagwandin
Vikash J
VJ
University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0552, USA.
Shay
Jerry W
JW
D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism
D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019098:Telomerase