Defining the Stem Cell Phenotype in Solid Cancers

Stem cells in solid tumors have been identified almost two decades ago using a growing host of surface markers and their combinations. The community describes these cells with features of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and expression of stem cell markers from the embryonic stem cell field. Nevertheless, the more prominent functional features like self-renewal in vitro and in vivo, differentiation into non-stem cells or the general ability to recreate the tumor from cell one is often not assessed in depth. In this issue, we hope to provide new input on the connection of functionality and marker expression of stem cell phenotypes in a variety of solid human tumors. Therefore providing researchers with a frame of reference when adding to the growing collection of stem cells from solid cancers.

Keywords:

Cancer stem cells; Solid cancer; Stem cell phenotype; Surface markers; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Functional stemness in tumors; Pluripotency