3D culture generally induces some type of cell differentiation (depending on the conditions the cells are in). Mostly only stem cells or cancer stem like cells can differentiated in 3D. Thus it is a characteristic of stem cell if given the proper signals will differentiate. There are some differences between normal and cancer stem cell such a alteration in karyotype for cancer cells. Some therapies for cancer are to try to induce differentiation of cell (e.g. cells that do not proliferate is a good outcome in cancer therapy). Hopefully this helps answer at least part of your question. If not write back.
Dear Jerry,
Thanks for the explanation. I wonder why 3D culture condition is being employed to enrich cancer stem cells while this condition promotes the differentiation of embryonic stem cells even though we used culture media support the stem cell self-renewal ? Is this could be due to integrin/cytoskeloton modification which differ in these 2 cell types? or some kind of cell-cell communications?
Appreciate your thoughts and input.
When ESCs grow in 3D, E-cadherin based signaling leads differentiation.
http://jcs.biologists.org/content/joces/127/12/2603.full.pdf
In cancer cells, 3D growth promotes stemness and is also because of E-cadherin based signaling.
We had recently shown that stemness is related to apoptosis in cancer cells
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233742776_Blebbishields_the_Emergency_Program_for_Cancer_Stem_Cells_Sphere_Formation_and_Tumorigenesis_after_Apoptosis
The pivotal point which diverts E-cadherin based signaling towards differentiation or stemness is sort of known in bits and pieces.
Article Blebbishields, the Emergency Program for Cancer Stem Cells: ...
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