Stem Cell Plasticity and Niche Dynamics in Cancer Progression.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been hypothesized to initiate and drive tumor growth and recurrence due to their self-renewal ability. If correct, this hypothesis implies that successful therapy must focus primarily on eradication of this CSC fraction. However, recent evidence suggests stemness is niche dependent and may represent one of many phenotypic states that can be accessed by many cancer genotypes when presented with specific environmental cues. A better understanding of the relationship of stemness to niche-related phenotypic plasticity could lead to alternative treatment strategies.

Methods

Here, we investigate the role of environmental context in the expression of stem-like cell properties through in-silico simulation of ductal carcinoma. We develop a two-

SUBMITTER: Picco N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5634531 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature