Isolation and use of solid tumor stem cells

Abstract

A small percentage of cells within an established tumor have the properties of stem cells. These solid tumor stem cells give rise both to more tumor stem cells and to the majority of cells in the tumor that have lost the capacity for extensive proliferation and the ability to give rise to new tumors. The solid tumor heterogeneity reflects the presence of tumor cell progeny arising from a solid tumor stem cell. This discovery is the basis for solid tumor stem cell compositions, methods for distinguishing functionally different populations of tumor cells, methods for using these tumor cell populations for studying the effects of therapeutic agents on tumor growth, and methods for identifying and testing novel anti-cancer therapies directed to solid tumor stem cells.

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 222,794, filed Aug. 3, 2000, and Ser. No. 60 / 240,317, filed Oct. 13, 2000.TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Cancer remains the number two cause of mortality in this country, resulting in over 500,000 deaths per year. Despite advances in detection and treatment, cancer mortality remains high. Despite the remarkable progress in understanding the molecular basis of cancer, this knowledge has not yet been translated into effective therapeutic strategies. [0004] In particular, breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, with approximately one in nine women developing breast cancer in their lifetime. Unfortunately, metastatic breast cancer is still an incurable disease. Most women with metastatic breast cancer succumb to the disease. [0005] Traditional modes of t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The previous failure of cancer therapies to significantly improve outcome has been due in part to the failure of these therapies to target the solid tumor stem cells within a solid tumor that have the capacity for extensive proliferation and the ability to give rise to all other solid tumor cell types. This invention provides a way that anti-cancer therapies can be directed, both generally and now specifically directed, against the solid tumor stem cells. The directed anti-cancer therapies of the invention thus result in much more effective and durable therapeutic responses.

[0011] In its several aspects, the invention usefully provides methods for screening for anti-cancer agents; for the testing of anti-cancer therapies; for the development of drugs targeting novel pathways; for the identification of new anti-cancer therapeutic targets; the identification and diagnosis of malignant cells in pathology specimens; for the testing and assaying of solid tumor stem cell drug sensitivity; for the measurement of specific factors that predict drug sensitivity; and for the screening of patients (e.g., as an adjunct for mammography). The invention can be used as a model to test patients' tumor sensitivity to known therapies; as a model for identification of new therapeutic targets for cancer treatment; as a system to establish a tumor bank for testing new therapeutic agents for treatment of cancer; and as a system to identify the tumorigenic cancer cells. Also, the invention provides synergy between the methods of the invention and breast cancer genomic databases, for an improved anti-cancer drug discovery.

Problems solved by technology

The previous failure of cancer therapies to significantly improve outcome has been due in part to the failure of these therapies to target the solid tumor stem cells within a solid tumor that have the capacity for extensive proliferation and the ability to give rise to all other solid tumor cell types.

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