Researchers Find that Tumor Stem Cells are Good Models for Brain Tumor Research

Source: National Cancer Institute
Posted: May 15, 2006

Summary:

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), both part of the National Institutes of Health, have found that tumor stem cell lines derived directly from human glioblastoma brain tumors are a better model to study the biology and physiology of glioblastomas than are cancer cell lines that have been commonly used in cancer research laboratories. They also discovered the conditions under which to preserve the biological integrity and genetic characteristics of these glioblastoma tumor stem cell lines. The study results appear in the May 15, 2006, issue of Cancer Cell

Commentary: Studying stem cell lines derived directly from gioblastoma brain tumors as opposed to cancer cell lines may enable scientists to better understand the process of tumor formation and enablem them to treat, or eliminate, tumors early, potentially preventing them from becoming cancerous and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children.