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PMID: 19734877 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Review

Cancer stem cells: mirage or reality?

Nature medicine ·Vol. 15 ·No. 9 ·2009-09-00 ·Pages 1010-2

Gupta PB, Chaffer CL, Weinberg RA

Abstract

The similarities and differences between normal tissue stem cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been the source of much contention, with some recent studies calling into question the very existence of CSCs. An examination of the literature indicates, however, that the CSC model rests on firm experimental foundations and that differences in the observed frequencies of CSCs within tumors reflect the various cancer types and hosts used to assay these cells. Studies of stem cells and the differentiation program termed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) point to the possible existence of plasticity between stem cells and their more differentiated derivatives. If present, such plasticity would have major implications for the CSC model and for future therapeutic approaches.

MeSH Terms
Animals Cell Differentiation Humans Models, Biological Neoplasms/pathology Neoplastic Stem Cells/pathology Stem Cells/cytology
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Gupta Piyush B
Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Chaffer Christine L
Weinberg Robert A
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Article Info
Journal
Nature medicine
Abbr.
Nat Med
ISSN
1546-170X
DOI
10.1038/nm0909-1010
Published
2009-09-00
Epub
2009-00-04
Pages
1010-2
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
9502015
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1038/nm0909-1010 View journal details
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