Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) are a subset of the bulk tumour cells responsible for initiating and maintaining the disease. The existence of cancer stem cells has been hypothesized for many decades, but it was not until 1997 that they were isolated from patients with acute myeloid leukaemia. Subsequently, CSCs have now been isolated from human cancers of the blood, breast, and brain, and putative cancer stem cells have been identified from human skin, bone, prostate and head and neck tumours and from multiple established mammalian cancer cell lines. Cancer stem cells may derive from mutations in normal stem cells. Alternatively, differentiated tumours cells may acquire the characteristics of stem cells. Currently most cancer cells are treated as though they have unlimited proliferative potential and can acquire the ability to metastasize. However a growing body of evidence suggests that only a sub population of cells, the tumour initiating cells or cancer stem cells, have a true tumourigenic potential. A better understanding of the tumour biology will arise from the identification and molecular study of tumour stem cells.  The concept of CSCs may have profound implications in our understanding of tumour biology and for the design of novel treatments.

My group at MIRM focuses on CSCs from solid tumours and is involved in identification and isolation of CSCs and characterizing its molecular properties. We are searching for clues by profiling the differential expression of oncoproteins, drug transporter proteins and stem cell markers and analyzing altered patterns of cell cycling. These studies will not only serve in using cancer stem cells as a tool to study the basic biology of CSCs but will also aid in targeted therapy to improve clinical outcome.