It is becoming clear that cancer cells display features of normal tissue organization in the microenvironment, where cancer stem cells (CSCs) can drive tumor growth in the tumor environment. It has been proposed that the genetic and CSC models of cancer can be harmonized by considering the role of genetic diversity and tumor heterogeneity. The concept of leukemia stem cells (LSCs) also becomes critical in understanding the pathogenesis of leukemia, and alterations in the bone marrow niche are commonly observed in blood malignancies and directly contribute to the aberrant function of disease-initiating LSCs. We describe the cutting-edge progress regarding LSC research and the promising clinical strategies with LSC-targeted therapy.
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.