Cancer Genomics

Stem Cells- Cancer

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One of the most exciting recent developments in the field of cancer biology is the recognition that lineage progression continues to occur in tumours. In particular, there is an increasing body of evidence that like normal tissues, tumor cells that have the potential for unlimited self-renewal give rise in large numbers to cells that lack this potential - the so-called cancer stem cell hypothesis. By focusing for so many years on the majority cell populations in tumours, and not on the rarer cancer stem cells (cancer initiating cells), scientists and clinicians may have missed out on opportunities to understand, diagnose and treat the processes in cancer that matter most. Existing cancer treatments have mostly been developed based on animal models, where therapies able to promote tumor shrinkage were deemed effective. The existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) has several implications in terms of future cancer treatment and therapies. These include disease identification, selective drug targets, prevention of metastasis, and development of new intervention strategies. Moreover, according to “individualised cancer immunotherapy”- which is the new frontier in cancer treatment is getting a person’s own immune system to eliminate tumours, rather than targeting the cancer cells with chemotherapy. In contrast to conventional cancer treatments, immunotherapies can lead to long-lasting clinical responses.