Gupta Piyush B, Chaffer Christine L, Weinberg Robert A
Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Nat Med. 2009 Sep;15(9):1010-2. doi: 10.1038/nm0909-1010. Epub 2009 Sep 4.
The similarities and differences between normal tissue stem cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been the source of much contention, with some recent studies calling into question the very existence of CSCs. An examination of the literature indicates, however, that the CSC model rests on firm experimental foundations and that differences in the observed frequencies of CSCs within tumors reflect the various cancer types and hosts used to assay these cells. Studies of stem cells and the differentiation program termed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) point to the possible existence of plasticity between stem cells and their more differentiated derivatives. If present, such plasticity would have major implications for the CSC model and for future therapeutic approaches.
正常组织干细胞与癌症干细胞（CSCs）之间的异同一直是诸多争论的焦点，最近一些研究对CSCs的存在本身提出了质疑。然而，对文献的审视表明，CSC模型建立在坚实的实验基础之上，肿瘤内CSCs观察频率的差异反映了用于检测这些细胞的各种癌症类型和宿主。对干细胞以及被称为上皮-间质转化（EMT）的分化程序的研究表明，干细胞与其分化程度更高的衍生物之间可能存在可塑性。如果存在这种可塑性，那么它将对CSC模型以及未来的治疗方法产生重大影响。
