Genes Are Not The Only Drivers Of Colon Cancer

gdpawel said:

Cancer Stem Cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a hot topic in the scientific community. This subpopulation of malignant cells may one day provide an important avenue for controlling cancer, especially if new treatments that target the cancer stem cell are developed and combined with traditional chemotherapy and/or radiation.

Cancer stem cell biologists hypothesize that any treatment that targets the source of origin rather than simply killing all cells, healthy and malignant, would be an improvement over most conventional therapies.

Stem cells have that infinite ability to renew themselves and produce the many different cell types that make up a human. Cancer's hallmark is its ability to grow infinitely, multiplying into various cells that make up a tumor. Is cancer the result of a normal stem cell turned bad or an ordinary cell that somehow acquires astem cell's immortality and versatility?

In stem cell research, anti-cancer treatments often effectively shrink the size of tumors, but some might have the opposite effect, actually expanding the small population of cancer stem cells that then are capable of metastasizing.

The fact that cancer stem cells may have unique biological properties more likely to fuel cancer, or unfavorable factors in the neighboring cells surrounding the tumor, such as mutated genes, proteins that encourage cell growth, it is important to look at the "forest" and not just the "trees."

There are many pathways to altered cellular (forest) function (hence all the different "trees" which correlate in different situations). Cell functional analysis measures what happens at the end (the effects on the forest), rather than the status of the individual trees.

...very informative post again. I have two thoughts about cancer from knowing what I know. The first, cancer is as if someone designed to be so bad and resilient to treatments. God can't be this naughty. Second, evolution produced mechanisms in cells that makes them the ultimate survivals. Unfortunately sometimes that kills the host that keeps them alive.

I'll take the second, because with that one we have a tiny chance to win. (at least some rounds)

Laz