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Cancer Stem Cells |
The discovery of cancer stem cells in certain tumor types launched a new discipline within cancer research. Many scientists are now looking to identify and characterize populations of tumor cells which have acquired stem cell–like properties as potential sources of metastasis and therapeutic resistance.
Thermo Fisher Scientific offers solutions for cancer stem cell research—from identification and culturing to genomic and functional analysis.
What are cancer stem cells?
Cancer stem cells are a small subpopulation of tumor cells with stem-like properties that drive tumor initiation, maintenance, metastasis, and therapy resistance.
Key characteristics of cancer stem cells
- Self-renewal—ability to continuously generate more CSCs
- Tumor-initiating capacity—can form new tumors when transplanted in vivo
- Differentiation potential—give rise to diverse cell types within a tumor
- Therapy resistance—more resilient to chemotherapy and radiation
- Metastatic competence—contribute to tumor spread and recurrence
- Distinct molecular markers—expression of surface and intracellular markers (varies by cancer type)
Table 1. Common cancer stem cell markers (examples).
| Cancer type | Frequently studied markers |
|---|---|
| Brain | CD133, Nestin, SOX2 |
| Breast | CD44high/CD24low, ALDH1 |
| Colon | CD133, CD44, EpCAM |
| Pancreatic | CD44, CD24, ESA |
| Leukemia | CD34+/CD38- |
Table 2. Methods to identify cancer stem cells.
| Category | Examples | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Cell-surface marker detection | Flow cytometry using CD133, CD44/CD24, etc. | Enrichment of stem-like subpopulations |
| Functional assays | Sphere formation assays (e.g., tumorspheres, neurospheres) | Self-renewal and survival in non-adherent culture |
| Stem-ness reporter assays | SOX2/OCT4 promoter reporters, ALDH activity assays | Stem-cell gene expression/activity |
| In vivo tumor-initiating assays | Xenografts in immunodeficient mice | Gold-standard proof of tumor-initiating ability |
| Drug-resistance assays | Resistance to chemo/radiation, efflux pump assays | Therapy-resistant phenotype |
Cancer stem cell workflow
Cancer stem cell marker identification
Isolate cancer stem cells with high yield and purity using Dynabeads purification products.
Recommended products & resources
Cancer stem cell culture
For your cancer stem cell needs, use trusted and widely referenced cell culture media, reagents, cells, and sera.
Recommended products & resources
Gibco cell culture products
Primary cell culture systems
Stem cell research
Recombinant proteins for stem cell culture
AlgiMatrix 3D Cell Culture System
Cancer stem cell characterization
Characterize the genomic events of cancer stem cells driving regenerative properties with highly sensitive sequencing and qPCR technologies. Thermo Fisher Scientific portfolio supports a wide range of throughput and application needs for genomic analysis.
Recommended products & resources
Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)
Oligonucleotides, Primers, Probes, & Genes
Sanger Sequencing and Fragment Analysis by Capillary Electrophoresis
Cancer stem cell functional assays
Detect cancer stem cells quickly without loss of sensitivity with the Invitrogen Attune NxT Flow Cytometer. Uncover diverse cell processes in live cells with Invitrogen reagents and assays.
Recommended products & resources
Attune Flow Cytometers
Flow Cytometry Solutions
Cell Function Assays
Cancer stem cell marker identification
Isolate cancer stem cells with high yield and purity using Dynabeads purification products.
Recommended products & resources
Cancer stem cell culture
For your cancer stem cell needs, use trusted and widely referenced cell culture media, reagents, cells, and sera.
Recommended products & resources
Gibco cell culture products
Primary cell culture systems
Stem cell research
Recombinant proteins for stem cell culture
AlgiMatrix 3D Cell Culture System
Cancer stem cell characterization
Characterize the genomic events of cancer stem cells driving regenerative properties with highly sensitive sequencing and qPCR technologies. Thermo Fisher Scientific portfolio supports a wide range of throughput and application needs for genomic analysis.
Recommended products & resources
Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)
Oligonucleotides, Primers, Probes, & Genes
Sanger Sequencing and Fragment Analysis by Capillary Electrophoresis
Cancer stem cell functional assays
Detect cancer stem cells quickly without loss of sensitivity with the Invitrogen Attune NxT Flow Cytometer. Uncover diverse cell processes in live cells with Invitrogen reagents and assays.
Recommended products & resources
Attune Flow Cytometers
Flow Cytometry Solutions
Cell Function Assays
Resources
PubMed articles
- Shimono Y, Zabala M, Cho RW, et al. (2009) Downregulation of miRNA-200c links breast cancer stem cells with normal stem cells. Cell 138(3):592–603. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2009.07.011.
- Robertson FM, Ogasawara MA, Ye Z, et al. (2010) Imaging and analysis of 3D tumor spheroids enriched for a cancer stem cell phenotype. J Biomol Screen 15(7):820–829. doi: 10.1177/1087057110376541.
- Hurt EM, Chan K, Serrat MAD, et al. (2010) Identification of vitronectin as an extrinsic inducer of cancer stem cell differentiation and tumor formation. Stem Cells 28(3):390–398. doi: 10.1002/stem.271.
Stylesheet for Classic Wide Template adjustments
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.