Cancer stem cells: the other face of Janus.
Advances in the field of stem cell biology have provided renewed hopes that stem cells can be used to treat a wide range of genetic diseases and traumatic injuries. However, advances in the field of cancer cell biology have led to formulation of the cancer stem cell hypothesis, which posits that cancers arise from mutant stem cells. Further, this hypothesis proposes that these stem cells account for cancer recurrence, metastasis, and resistance to conventional treatments. Thus, although normal stem cells represent potential effective solutions to numerous clinical problems, when mutated, they may also represent the cause of many human malignancies.
Mittal
Sahil
S
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-0764, USA.
Mifflin
Randy
R
Powell
Don W
DW
D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology