肿瘤干细胞相关研究进展

干细胞具有自我更新和多向分化的特征.随着对干细胞进一步了解及肿瘤基础研究的不断深入,越来越多证据表明肿瘤中极少数细胞具有干细胞特征,肿瘤干细胞概念随之产生,且已从血液肿瘤、乳腺癌及神经系统肿瘤中分离出肿瘤干细胞.这些细胞具有治疗抵抗特性,能够耐受传统的细胞毒化疗和放射治疗.肿瘤生长正是这些具有特殊表型细胞分化增殖的结果.许多学者认为,肿瘤复发、转移以及耐药等均与肿瘤干细胞相关,肿瘤治疗关键应该针对肿瘤干细胞.这一全新的治疗概念给肿瘤治疗带来希望,同时对传统肿瘤治疗模式提出了巨大挑战.肿瘤干细胞的发现、自身特点以及对肿瘤治疗可能影响的研究具有重要意义.

Advances in research of tumor stem cells

Stem cells have the hallmark property of self-renewal and multipotency of transforming to mature cells of specific tissues and organs. With the further recognition of the stem cells and deep penetration of the basic studies, more and more evidences indicate that extremely minor population of tumor cells possess the stem cell property. So the concept of tumor stem cells was proposed because of the similarities between tumor cells and stem cells. Currently, tumor stem cells have been isolated not only from acute myeloid leukemia but also from breast carcinoma and malignant glioma, etc. These cells may be resistant to therapy and can still survive after the treatment of cytotoxic drugs and irradiation. The growth of tumor is the result of the multiplication of a minor population of tumor stem cells which have the special cell surface mark. Many scholars are sure that there is a significant correlation between the recurrence, metastasis and drug resistance of tumor and the tumor stem cell. Therefore the key of tumor treatment should aim at the tumor stem cells. This new model of tumor is a huge challenge to the traditional tumor treatment, and tumor stem cell therapy could indeed be a shining light on the tumor research horizon. In this review, the detection, feature of tumor stem cells and the possible influence on the current tumor treatment are discussed.