Both a Cause of Cancer and a Path to Treatment: Cancer Stem Cells

What triggers cells to multiply uncontrollably and become cancerous is one of the most intriguing questions about this disease. Research in recent years suggests that “stem cells” may have a major role both in cancer development and in treating it.

Our stem cells are the raw material for all other cells in our bodies. During human development, embryonic stem cells can turn into any cell in the body. As they multiply, their descendants begin to form organs, allowing the embryo to develop into a baby. Embryonic stem cells begin disappearing within a few days of birth. Adult stem cells exist in very small numbers and produce new cells only to replace damaged cells in the tissues where they reside. When adult stem cells divide, they produce cells with the same characteristics as themselves. Unlike embryonic stem cells, they cannot turn into different kinds of cells.

Cancer development: uncontrollably dividing cells reverting to embryonic stem cell characteristics.

The role of stem cells in cancer development has long been debated. According to researchers, cancer development involves some cells that divide uncontrollably as a result of accumulated genetic mutations (such as DNA damage) reverting to embryonic stem cell characteristics. These cells can divide and renew themselves for long periods. They are called cancer stem cells . According to findings from three research groups in different countries in 2012, stem cells directly triggered the growth of brain, skin, and intestinal cancers.

Cancer stem cells were first discovered in acute myeloid leukemia, a blood cancer. Researchers subsequently identified them in brain, breast, ovarian, colon, pancreatic, prostate, and skin cancers. Cancer stem cells are thought to be responsible for drug resistance and cancer recurrence.

What Does Identifying Cancer Stem Cells Mean for Cancer Treatment?

Cancer stem cells resist conventional cancer treatments. They are thought to be the main reason cancer can recur even years after successful treatment. Efforts in recent years have focused on developing treatments targeting cancer stem cells. However, clinical trials have observed that any treatment targeting cancer stem cells also damages healthy tissues. It therefore appears very difficult to obtain results from these treatments without defining the differences between cancer stem cells and adult stem cells.