Review article in Urologic Oncology

"Cancer stem cells"-Lessons from Hercules to fight the Hydra, by Felix Roman Moltzahn, Jens-Peter Volkmer, Daniel Rottke, Rolf Ackermann. Urol Oncol 2008 Sep 23. [Epub ahead of print]. Abstract:

Following the initial identification of hematopoietic tumor stem cells, such cells were also found in several solid tumor types. In urology, cancer stem cells have only been found in prostate tumors so far. The concept and detection of tumor stem cells rely heavily on findings derived from stem cell research. Therefore, in addition to identifying and characterizing urologic tumor stem cells, research in uro-oncology should also aim at better understanding the stem-cell biology of urologic organs. Insights in similarities and differences gleaned from these studies could be used to develop strategies for targeted destruction of tumor stem cells while sparing the physiological stem cells. The main target of future curative therapies in uro-oncology must therefore be the central, immortal head of the Hydra, the tumor stem cell.

Excerpt from the full text:

3. CSC definition

The tumor stem cell is the original cell of the tumor, responsible for tumorigenesis, tumor differentiation, tumor maintenance, and also for tumor spread and tumor relapse. This is analogous to a stem cell being the original cell of an organ, responsible for organogenesis and organ maintenance.

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