title: Cancer stem cells.
abstract: There are two hypotheses that explain tumor progression. The first one, the stochastic hypothesis, assumes that any cell within a tumor has the capacity to form and maintain the tumor mass. The second, the so-called hierarchical hypothesis, suggests the existence of a group of cells with a stem phenotype which, like in normal tissues, preserves tumors through a continuous production of progeny. These stem cells are in a particular niche, have a higher resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and are also capable of invading and migrating to other tissues. This review describes the cancer stem cells (CSCs), their function inside a tumor and the current knowledge about these cells.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Genómica Funcional del Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Col. Ex-Rancho de Anzaldo, Mexico. angelaschwarz.c@gmail.com
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwarz-Cruz-y-Celis
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meléndez-Zajgla
mesh_terms: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002455:Cell Division; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002469:Cell Separation; D015195:Drug Design; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D011836:Radiation Tolerance
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor