Progress in understanding cancer stem cells reported

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A new study reveals that glioblastoma stem cells are highly resistant to chemotherapy, causing tumors to recur.
Why do so many cancers recur? Researchers are beginning to home in upon one important reason - the existence of cancer stem cells which are resistant to chemotherapy. These cells have the potential to renew themselves - like the stem cells that are a potential source of therapy - but instead of becoming normal cells they become cancer cells. In 2004, researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine Dunitz Neurological Institute identified cancer stem cells in adult brain tumors. Now they report new findings, from five patients with glioblastoma, a highly lethal type of brain cancer.

They describe genes and mechanisms that make glioblastoma stem cells resistant to chemotherapy. The resistance is linked to inhibition of a natural cell death process called apoptosis. Furthermore, cells taken from the primary tumor were compared with those taken from recurring tumors after therapy. The latter contained a higher concentration of the stem cells, suggesting that while treatment had killed off the 'daughter' cells, the 'mother' or stem cells remained. A therapy that could target the cancer stem cells instead may provide a more lasting cure for hard-to-treat cancers like glioblastoma.

Source
Molecular Cancer 2nd December 2006

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