Oncotarget

Research Perspectives:

Eradicating cancer cells: struggle with a chameleon

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Oncotarget. 2011; 2:99-101. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.222

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Jiabo Di, Tjitske Duiveman-de Boer, Carl G. Figdor and Ruurd Torensma

*Department of Tumorimmunology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Received: February 24, 2011; Accepted: February 28, 2011; Published: February 28, 2011;

Correspondence:

Ruurd Torensma, e-mail:

Abstract

Eradication of cancer stem cells to abrogate tumor growth is a new treatment modality. However, like normal cells cancer cells show plasticity. Differentiated tumor stem cells can acquire stem cell properties when they gain access to the stem cell niche.  This indicates that eradicating of stem cells (emptying of the niche) alone will not lead to eradication of the tumor. Treatment should be directed to cancer stem cells ànd more mature cancer cells.