I have some troubles with understanding terms "cancer stem cells" and "non-cycling (resting) cells". For example, somebody write that core of tumorspheres (spheroids) contains cancer stem cells, somebody else - non-cycling (resting) cells. What do they mean when they say "non-cycling (resting) cells"? They mean stem cells? So, can I tell that all non-cycling (resting) cells are stem? If no, how non-stem resting cells can form spheroids? Or are spheroids always be formed by cancer stem cells or can be originated from non-stem resting cells? In addition, could spheroids be formed from non-stem cancer cells?
i don't know whether it can be useful for you, but spheroid formation in vitro may be observed in non-cancer cells, MSCs for example.
Your Question: What do they mean when they say "non-cycling (resting) cells"? They mean stem cells?
Answer: Non-cycling (resting) cells is not a term specific to cancer stem cells, it can include cells other than stem cells too.
Your Question: If no, how non-stem resting cells can form spheroids? Or are spheroids always be formed by cancer stem cells or can be originated from non-stem resting cells? In addition, could spheroids be formed from non-stem cancer cells?
Answer: Sphere formation is widely observed in cancer stem cells (but not all the cancer stem cells form spheres), and spheres can be formed by cells other than cancer stem cells too (example, normal human mammary epithelial cells)...so sphere formation is not specific to cancer stem cells. The term cancer stem cells means, these cells should be capable of forming tumors in vivo. Some authors call it as "tumor initiating cells".
If you consider stem cells (not cancer stem cells, but normal stem cells), the measure is self-renewal (ability to sustain and divide over long time with less differentiated state: example HSCs)
Whereas the term "non-cycling resting cell" means a cell under quiescence (without cell division).
Thanks a lot for detailed answers!
Could you pls tell any papers where I can read about non-cycling resting cells and their spheroids in breast tumors? Is there information that normal (non-stem, non-cycling) breast tumor cells can form spheroids? And what mechanisms are involved in this process? Expression of cell adhesion molecules or something else...
Thank you in advance!
I have found a lot of literature about spheroids. But thank you all the same!-)
Here is the hot one..!! just published today..!! http://www.nature.com/cdd/journal/vaop/ncurrent/pdf/cdd2012140a.pdf
I have one more question. Can CSCs form spheroids in vivo? Or it is a feature only specific for in vitro.
cancer stem cells is, stem cell that acquire cancer character or cancer cell which acquire a stem cell properties, so any dividing cell may have this identification and character
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