Stem cell concepts renew cancer research

Although uncontrolled proliferation is a distinguishing property of a tumor as a whole, the individual cells that make up the tumor exhibit considerable variation in many properties, including morphology, proliferation kinetics, and the ability to initiate tumor growth in transplant assays. Understa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Blood 2008-12, Vol.112 (13), p.4793-4807
Main Author:	Dick, John E.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Biological and medical sciences Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases Hematopoietic Stem Cells - cytology Hematopoietic Stem Cells - pathology Humans Medical sciences Models, Biological Neoplasms - pathology Neoplastic Stem Cells - pathology
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Although uncontrolled proliferation is a distinguishing property of a tumor as a whole, the individual cells that make up the tumor exhibit considerable variation in many properties, including morphology, proliferation kinetics, and the ability to initiate tumor growth in transplant assays. Understanding the molecular and cellular basis of this heterogeneity has important implications in the design of therapeutic strategies. The mechanistic basis of tumor heterogeneity has been uncertain; however, there is now strong evidence that cancer is a cellular hierarchy with cancer stem cells at the apex. This review provides a historical overview of the influence of hematology on the development of stem cell concepts and their linkage to cancer.
ISSN:	0006-4971 1528-0020