title: Cancer stem cells may be mostly maintained by fluctuating hypoxia.
abstract: We wonder if most cancer stem cells (CSCs) survive and are maintained in the region of fluctuating hypoxia, which protects them against differentiation. Fluctuating hypoxia, as an important and neglected factor, has been confirmed to induce malignant progression, confer to therapeutic resistance and exist extensively. The subsequent consequence is similar with the behavior of CSCs. Therefore, we cite some examples for our bases and hypothesize CSCs may be mostly maintained by fluctuating hypoxia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Bethune International Peace Hospital, PR China.
authors.forename: Qingjia
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiuying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Di
mesh_terms: D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002465:Cell Movement; D002470:Cell Survival; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000502:physiology*