Translation of knowledge about CSC into clinical use

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Translational Research Program Stem Cell Symposium: Incorporating Stem Cell Hypotheses into Clinical Trials. Authors: Wendy A Woodward, Robert G Bristow, Michael F Clarke, Robert P Coppes, Massimo Cristofanilli, Dan G Duda, John R Fike, Dolores Hambardzumyan, Richard P Hill, Craig T Jordan, Luka Milas, Frank Pajonk, Walter J Curran, Adam P Dicker, Yuhchyau Chen. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2009(Aug 1); 74(5): 1580-91 [Epub 2009(Jun 17)]. PubMed Abstract:

At a meeting of the Translation Research Program of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group held in early 2008, attendees focused on updating the current state of knowledge in cancer stem cell research and discussing ways in which this knowledge can be translated into clinical use across all disease sites. This report summarizes the major topics discussed and the future directions that research should take. Major conclusions of the symposium were that the flow cytometry of multiple markers in fresh tissue would remain the standard technique of evaluating cancer-initiating cells and that surrogates need to be developed for both experimental and clinical use.