Regulation of Stem Cell Plasticity: Mechanisms and Relevance to Tissue Biology and Cancer

Abstract excerpt

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are associated with a high degree of plasticity, which allows them to self-renew and differentiate into every somatic cell. During differentiation, ESCs follow a hierarchically organized pattern towards tissue specificity, which ultimately results in permanent cell cycle arrest and a loss of cellular plasticity. In contrast to their normal somatic counterparts, cancer cells retain...