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Brain tumor stem cells: new targets for
clinical treatments?
Patrizia Tunici, Ph.D., Dwain Irvin,
Ph.D., M.P.H., Gentao Liu, Ph.D., Xiangpeng Yuan, Ph.D., Zeng Zhaohui,
Ph.D., Hiushan Ng, M.S., and John S. Yu, M.D.
Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical
Institute, Los Angeles, California
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The observation of
similarities between the self-renewal mechanisms of stem cells and
cancer cells has led to the new
concept of the cancer stem cell.
In cases of leukemia, multiple myeloma, and breast cancer, cells with
a high selfrenewal potential have
been identified.
Furthermore, investigators have shown
these cells’ ability to drive the formation and
growth of the tumor.
Brain tumors have also been reported to possess a subpopulation of
cancer stemlike cells that have the
ability to proliferate, self-renew, and be multipotent.
When grafted into mice, these cells are also able to generate
a tumor that recapitulates that of the patient from whom the cells
were derived.
The identification and characterization of
this new category of cells call for new therapies capable of
selectively targeting and killing these multifaceted cells.
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