title: Dedifferentiation and reprogramming: origins of cancer stem cells.
abstract: Regenerative medicine aims to replace the lost or damaged cells in the human body through a new source of healthy transplanted cells or by endogenous repair. Although human embryonic stem cells were first thought to be the ideal source for cell therapy and tissue repair in humans, the discovery by Yamanaka and colleagues revolutionized the field. Almost any differentiated cell can be sent back in time to a pluripotency state by expressing the appropriate transcription factors. The process of somatic reprogramming using Yamanaka factors, many of which are oncogenes, offers a glimpse into how cancer stem cells may originate. In this review we discuss the similarities between tumor dedifferentiation and somatic cell reprogramming and how this may pose a risk to the application of this new technology in regenerative medicine.
authors: Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors: Dinorah
authors: D
authors: Friedmann-Morvinski
authors: Inder M
authors: IM
authors: Verma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000378:metabolism; D054337:Cell Dedifferentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens