Tumour heterogeneity and cancer cell plasticity
Abstract
Phenotypic and functional heterogeneity arise among cancer cells within the same tumour as a consequence of genetic change, environmental differences and reversible changes in cell properties. Some cancers also contain a hierarchy in which tumorigenic cancer stem cells differentiate into non-tumorigenic progeny. However, it remains unclear what fraction of cancers follow the stem-cell model and what clinical behaviours the model explains. Studies using lineage tracing and deep sequencing could have implications for the cancer stem-cell model and may help to determine the extent to which it accounts for therapy resistance and disease progression.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- September 2013
- DOI:
- 10.1038/nature12624
- Bibcode:
- 2013Natur.501..328M