title: Human breast and melanoma cancer stem cells biomarkers.
abstract: Cancer progression in humans is difficult to infer because we do not routinely sample patients at multiple stages of their disease. The identification cancer stem cell (CSC) subpopulations inside tumor opens a new view of cancer development, since it implies that tumors can only be eradicated by targeting CSCs. Several markers have been proposed in the literature to identify CSCs both in breast and melanoma but no consensus has been reached, leading to the hypothesis that the CSC phenotype might be dynamically switched. Herein we provide a critical discussion of the biological markers described in the literature for breast cancer and melanoma. Due to its complexity the field would benefit from an interdisciplinary approach to investigate tumor heterogeneity and its progression. Similar considerations could also be relevant for normal tissue stem cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy. caterina.laporta@unimi.it
authors.forename: Caterina A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: La Porta
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zapperi
mesh_terms: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D000075744:Receptors, CXCR6; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000378:metabolism; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C106330:CXCR6 protein, human; D006023:Glycoproteins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494173:POU5F1 protein, human; D010455:Peptides; D000075744:Receptors, CXCR6; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D011991:Receptors, Virus