Physics Bucharest 2017

Cell at risk

Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) hypothesis • Tumors are stem cell-based tissues, like any other tissue • Hierarchical structure within the tumor

• Not all the tumor cells are equally competent for regenerating the tumor • Only a tumor subpopulation (stem cells) is responsible for the cancer recurrence after treatment

Treatment failure • CSCs are more resistant to antiproliferative therapies than other tumor subpopulations • Normal stem cells are sensitive to antiproliferative therapies • To erradicate the CSCs would require to eliminate normal stem cells (Toxicity)