title: The evolving concept of cancer and metastasis stem cells.
abstract: The cancer stem cell (CSC) concept, which arose more than a decade ago, proposed that tumor growth is sustained by a subpopulation of highly malignant cancerous cells. These cells, termed CSCs, comprise the top of the tumor cell hierarchy and have been isolated from many leukemias and solid tumors. Recent work has discovered that this hierarchy is embedded within a genetically heterogeneous tumor, in which various related but distinct subclones compete within the tumor mass. Thus, genetically distinct CSCs exist on top of each subclone, revealing a highly complex cellular composition of tumors. The CSC concept has therefore evolved to better model the complex and highly dynamic processes of tumorigenesis, tumor relapse, and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Irène
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baccelli
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trumpp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D012008:Recurrence; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor