Disrupting Cancer Stem Cells
A comparatively simple approach to tackling cancer stem cells is reported in Science: "Cancer stem cells are the ultimate source of the tumor, consistently supplying it with new cells. ... Killing these stem cells should allow researchers to hit a tumor where it hurts, yet chemotherapy has proven ineffective as it tends to kill only rapidly dividing cells. ... [researchers] started by comparing cancer stem cells to noncancerous neural stem cells. These neural tissue precursors are concentrated in regions rich in blood vessels. The vessels are lined with endothelial cells, which secrete chemical signals that help stem cell survive. ... after examining over 70 human brain tumors, the researchers found that cancer stem cells were frequently located close to tiny vessels called capillaries. ... Drugs that shrunk the capillaries also caused a significant drop in cancer stem cells and consequently put a damper on tumor growth." Comparatively simple it may be, but this new understanding required the tools of modern biotechnology; as is often the case, greater knowledge leads to better use of older medical technologies.
Link: http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/116/2