Agema, M. (2009) The role of cancer stem cells in metastasis of breast cancer. Bachelor's Thesis, Biology.
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Abstract
Metastasis, the multistep process of the migration of cancer cells to secondary sites, is the major cause of death in breast cancer patients. The cancer stem cell hypothesis indicates that cancer stem cells share many properties with normal stem cells and that dysregulating the stem cell self-renewal pathways leads to tumorigenesis. It is now determined that induction of epithelialmesenchymal transitions (EMTs) can occur in stationary cancer stem cells, subsequently leading to a more motile cancer stem cell phenotype, the migrating cancer stem cell. This process, known as the migrating cancer stem cell concept, may be the main cause of metastasis because migrating stem cells can disseminate and form metastases at secondary sites. Therefore, EMT is seen to be crucial in carcinogenesis. Cancer stem cells have many properties which make them drug resistant, pretending why current therapies fail in curing metastasized tumors. TGF-B, Wnt, Notch, Hedgehog and PTEN signaling pathways are now found to be important in EMT initiation and even in stem cell self-renewal. Therefore, it is suggested new therapies should target the cancer stem cell population by altering these pathways. Though, more research is needed because the body’s normal stem cells need to left unharmed.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor's Thesis) |
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| Degree programme: | Biology |
| Thesis type: | Bachelor's Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Date Deposited: | 15 Feb 2018 07:28 |
| Last Modified: | 15 Feb 2018 07:28 |
| URI: | https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/8530 |
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