Tumor Stemness
Tumor Stemness - Related Videos
03:14
PDAC Stem Cell Isolation: A Method to Isolate Cancer Stem Cells from Pancreatic Tumors
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2023
This article describes the technique for isolating pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) from human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissue. These CSCs are used to study the functional effects of drug treatment on the in vitro self-renewal capacity of CSCs for developing more efficient cancer treatments.
06:59
Using the BLT Humanized Mouse as a Stem Cell based Gene Therapy Tumor Model
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Cited by 35 •
2012
The generation and characterization of tumor specific T cells using humanized mice is described here. Human thymic tissue and genetically modified human hematopoietic stem cells are transplanted into immunocompromised mice. This results in the reconstitution of an engineered human immune system allowing for in vivo examination of anti-tumor immune responses.
10:03
Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Human Melanoma Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes
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Cited by 6 •
2016
The goal of this protocol is to show the protocol for reprogramming melanoma tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes into induced pluripotent stem cells.
03:33
Intranasal Delivery of Therapeutic Neural Stem Cells (NSCs) in Murine Model: A Procedure for Tumor-targeted Delivery of Oncolytic Virus Loaded NSCs into Brain Tumor Bearing Mouse Model
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2025
This video demonstrates the intranasal delivery of oncolytic virus loaded therapeutic neural stem cells into a brain-tumor bearing mouse model. The non-invasive intranasal administration of stem cells bypasses the blood brain barrier, facilitating their delivery to the tumor site in the brain for therapeutic applications.
02:40
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
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2023
Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers. Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
FAQs
Asymmetric division preserves a stem-like cell while generating a daughter cell with greater differentiation. This arrangement can maintain a self-renewing population without requiring every cancer cell to remain in the same state. In tumor biology, the balance between self-renewal and differentiation helps explain how a tumor can sustain its growth while producing diverse cellular populations.
Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog signaling networks are associated with maintaining tumor stemness. Their activity supports the persistence of cells with self-renewal and differentiation potential, rather than allowing all cells to adopt a fully differentiated state. Studying these networks helps cancer researchers investigate why stem-like properties remain present within a heterogeneous tumor.
Cellular plasticity allows cancer cells to shift between different functional states as conditions change. This flexibility can contribute to adaptation within the tumor and may help explain why tumor cell populations are not uniform. In cancer research, plasticity connects stem-like behavior with intratumoral heterogeneity, treatment resistance, metastatic potential, and disease recurrence.
Cells retaining stem-like properties may persist when treatment reduces the broader tumor population, leaving a source capable of sustaining tumor growth. Their self-renewal and plasticity can support adaptation to changing conditions, while surviving cells may contribute to renewed disease. This framework encourages researchers to consider tumor-initiating cells alongside the wider cancer cell population.
Characterization should address self-renewal, differentiation, asymmetric division, and cellular plasticity, while also considering how these features relate to tumor growth and heterogeneity. Researchers can use this framework to distinguish stem-like behavior from the general presence of cancer cells. Linking these properties to resistance, metastasis, or recurrence strengthens the biological interpretation of findings.
Tumor stemness provides a framework for investigating tumor-initiating cells in relation to the broader tumor population. This perspective can inform therapeutic strategies designed to target both compartments rather than focusing only on the bulk tumor. Its relevance extends across cancer research because it connects cellular behavior with intratumoral heterogeneity, treatment resistance, metastasis, and long-term recurrence.