There are reports which support idea of cancer stem cells, a multipotent cells which show resistance to chemotherapy and help in regeneration of cancer cells. There are many question which come with this hypothesis.
Q1. Are the cancer stem cells rogue normal stem cells?
Q2. Did normal cells after mutation become cancerous and a specific mutation make them cancer stem cell?
Q3.Can any cancer cell ( usually cancer cells are termed as immortal so as stem cells) be a cancer stem cell in its cell-cycle? How does cancer stem cells are different than a cancer cell ( it may be a high level of mutation to survive in less or no nutrient available)?
Q4. Having a ability to regenerate and proliferate is enough to define cancer stem cells (some stem cells markers are found in these cells)?
Q5. Do all types of cancer show similar cancer stem cell property during its progression?
Q6. How do nanoparticles (which have been so far used against cancer) behave against cancer stem cells?
Article Cancer stem cells [J]
Hii, actually cancer stem cell is a heterogeneous sub-population which act as stem cell till some extent and it exhibit different molecular signature as compare to non cancer stem cells.
Thanks Mr . Kumar and Mr. Shcharbin (for informative links) for comments.
Cancer cells in a solid tumor are much more like a cluster of heterogeneous cells of a organ which function for a single purpose. Due to this heterogeneity of cancer cells all the ideas of cancer stem cells, chemoresistant cells and mutant cells arise. If cancer stem cells are progenitor cancer cells which show the molecular signatures of stem cells than with change in growth factors these cells should differentiate into other cells rather than their original linage. As the studies suggest the finding of stem cell like behavior of few cancer cells in a population. Is it likely a reason for metastasis ability of these cancer cells to other tissues?
In my book, cancer stem cell is a transient state of cancer cells. As we know most of the solid tumor cells are epithelial but when they are ready to metastasize, they need to leave their epithelial morphology and in order to migrate. These are the cells we believe have stem cell potential because they are capable of tumor initiation at a distant site. Another theory could be that cells present the tumor core are exposed to hypoxia (>1% oxygen), become quiescent and resistant to most of the chemotherapeutic drugs. It is very important to find markers that are exclusively expressed in CSCs to identify and target them.
Thanks for your comment Mr. Venkata Lokesh Battula. The chemo resistant behavior of cancer cells of hypoxic area of a tumor may give way for its stem cell nature. Or can we say because of being stem cells in nature these cells are chemo resistant irrespective of their environment?
Please provide link for your book that you have mentioned in your comment.
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