Modulation of cellular differentiation and cell fate for cancer therapy.

Dysregulation of fundamental processes in developmental biology such as stem cell differentiation and proliferation may be the basis of many neoplastic diseases. Cancer stem cells have recently been identified in a number of malignancies, including leukemia and breast tumors. Drugs that affect differentiation, such as retinoic acid, have found therapeutic niches for the treatment of various forms of leukemia. As new understanding of stem cell biology and its role in cancer emerges, the development and application of drugs that target stem cell differentiation and cell fate will provide new therapeutic modalities for the management and treatment of malignant diseases.