Author(s)

Mansouri Atena¹, Abbaszadegan Mohammad Reza^1;2, Gholamin Mehran^2*

¹Human Genetic Division, Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
²Medical Generics Research Center, Medical School, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) have the ability to self-renew and are present in most tissues including breast, brain, lung, prostates, testis, ovary, esophagus, colon, and liver. Their origin is yet to be discovered, though a series of hypotheses have been proposed in this regard. CSCs play a role in not only the creation of cancer, but also in its evolution, metastasis, and recurrence. CSCs have an important role in cancer therapy and the resistance towards chemotherapeutic agents. This article reviews the characteristics of cancer stem cells in terms of origin, resistance towards chemotherapy, methods of isolation, and cancer therapy.

Cancer, Stem Cells, CSC

Atena, M. , Reza, A. and Mehran, G. (2014) A Review on the Biology of Cancer Stem Cells. Stem Cell Discovery, 4, 83-89. doi: 10.4236/scd.2014.44009.