Last Update: February 05, 2023, 09:46 IST
Stem cell transplants from a donor may also help eliminate cancer cells more effectively than the patient’s immune cells. These donated cells can detect and destroy cancer cells
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subset of cells within a tumor that share some characteristics with normal stem cells.
Stem cells are specialized human cells that are capable of developing into many different cell types. This can range from muscle cells to brain cells. In some cases, they can even heal damaged tissue. Researchers believe that stem cell-based therapies may one day be used to treat serious diseases, including some types of cancer. However, stem cells can also cause cancer.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subset of cells within a tumor that share some characteristics with normal stem cells. Like normal stem cells, CSCs have the capacity to self-renew and differentiate into many cell types, which allows them to drive tumor growth and dissemination. This means that CSCs are responsible for driving tumor growth and dissemination, and they are believed to be the root cause of cancer resurgence and drug resistance. CSCs are known to be resistant to conventional cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, due to their ability to self-renew and regenerate after treatment.
On the other hand, stem cells also have therapeutic potential in the treatment of cancer.
Hematopoietic stem cells, the adult stem cells that make blood cells found in the bone marrow, are the only stem cells currently used to treat diseases. These cells are used in procedures such as bone marrow transplants to help cancer patients recover their ability to produce blood cells after radiation therapy and chemotherapy destroy their own hematopoietic stem cells.
Different types of stem cell transplants are used in cancer treatment. This process involves high doses of chemotherapy and sometimes radiation to eliminate cancer cells, but these high doses can also destroy the patient’s stem cells and temporarily stop blood cell production. To restore blood cell production, healthy stem cells are transplanted to replace the destroyed cells. This allows higher doses of chemotherapy to target cancer cells, and the transplanted stem cells can develop into mature blood cells that function normally and are free of cancer.
In some cases, a stem cell transplant from a donor may help eliminate cancer cells more effectively than the patient’s immune cells. These donated cells can find and destroy cancer cells.
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