Dedifferentiation and reprogramming: origins of cancer stem cells.

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Friedmann-Morvinski D, Verma IM

Dedifferentiation and reprogramming: origins of cancer stem cells.

EMBO Rep. 2014 Mar;15(3):244-53. doi: 10.1002/embr.201338254. Epub 2014 Feb 14.

PubMed ID
24531722 [ View in PubMed
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Abstract

Regenerative medicine aims to replace the lost or damaged cells in the human body through a new source of healthy transplanted cells or by endogenous repair. Although human embryonic stem cells were first thought to be the ideal source for cell therapy and tissue repair in humans, the discovery by Yamanaka and colleagues revolutionized the field. Almost any differentiated cell can be sent back in time to a pluripotency state by expressing the appropriate transcription factors. The process of somatic reprogramming using Yamanaka factors, many of which are oncogenes, offers a glimpse into how cancer stem cells may originate. In this review we discuss the similarities between tumor dedifferentiation and somatic cell reprogramming and how this may pose a risk to the application of this new technology in regenerative medicine.

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