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Cancer stem cell definitions and terminology: the devil is in the details

Nature Reviews Cancer volume 12, pages 767–775 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

The cancer stem cell (CSC) concept has important therapeutic implications, but its investigation has been hampered both by a lack of consistency in the terms used for these cells and by how they are defined. Evidence of their heterogeneous origins, frequencies and their genomic, as well as their phenotypic and functional, properties has added to the confusion and has fuelled new ideas and controversies. Participants in The Year 2011 Working Conference on CSCs met to review these issues and to propose a conceptual and practical framework for CSC terminology. More precise reporting of the parameters that are used to identify CSCs and to attribute responses to them is also recommended as key to accelerating an understanding of their biology and developing more effective methods for their eradication in patients.

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Figure 1: Models of cancer stem cell evolution: perturbation of the normal differentiation hierarchy.
Figure 2: Proposed model of cancer stem cell evolution.
Figure 3: Effects of therapies.

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Acknowledgements

The Year 2011 Working Conference on Cancer Stem Cells was supported by a Cancer Stem Cell Grant of the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. The authors would like to thank S. Sonnleitner and K. Krassel for their helpful technical support. H.E.J. was supported by the EU 6th FP to MSCNET (LSHC-CT-2006-037602). M.C. is supported by a Fellowship from the Scottish Funding Council (SCD/04) and J.V.M. by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Funding Scheme, UK.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harald Herrmann and Sabine Cerny-Reiterer are at The Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Hematology & Hemostaseology, Peter Valent, Medical University of Vienna & Ludwig-Boltzmann Cluster Oncology, Waehringer Guertel 18–20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.,

    Peter Valent, Harald Herrmann & Sabine Cerny-Reiterer

  2. Dominique Bonnet is at The Haematopoietic Stem Cell Laboratory, Cancer Research UK, London Research Institute, Lincoln's Inn Fields Laboratories, PO BOX 123, 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LY, UK.,

    Dominique Bonnet

  3. Ruggero De Maria is at The Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, Rome 00144, Italy.,

    Ruggero De Maria

  4. Department of Immunology, Tsvee Lapidot is at The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.,

    Tsvee Lapidot

  5. Mhairi Copland is at The Paul O'Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Gartnavel General Hospital, 1053 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 0ZD, UK.,

    Mhairi Copland

  6. Junia V. Melo is at The Department of Haematology Centre for Cancer Biology, IMVS, Frome Road, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia and Imperial College London, Ducane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,

    Junia V. Melo

  7. Christine Chomienne is at The Service de Biologie Cellulaire, UMR-S-940, Institut Universitaire d'Hématologie, Hôpital Saint Louis, 1 Avenue Claude Vellefaux 75010, Paris, France.,

    Christine Chomienne

  8. Fumihiko Ishikawa is at The Research Unit for Human Disease Models, RIKEN RCAI, Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230–0045, Japan.,

    Fumihiko Ishikawa

  9. Jan Jacob Schuringa is at The Department of Experimental Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.,

    Jan Jacob Schuringa

  10. Department of Surgical and Oncological Sciences, Giorgio Stassi is at The Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pathophysiology, University of Palermo, Via Liborio Giuffre', 5, 90127 Palermo, Italy.,

    Giorgio Stassi

  11. Brian Huntly is at The Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, and Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK.,

    Brian Huntly

  12. Jean Soulier is at The Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U944 and Haematology Laboratory, Hôpital Saint Louis and Université Paris Diderot, 1 Avenue Claude Vellefaux 75010,Paris, France.,

    Jean Soulier

  13. Department of Dermatology, Alexander Roesch is at The Saarland University Hospital, Kirrbergstrasse, Building 18, D-66421 Homburg, Germany.,

    Alexander Roesch

  14. Gerrit Jan Schuurhuis is at The Department of Hematology, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,

    Gerrit Jan Schuurhuis

  15. Department of Internal Medicine I, Stefan Wöhrer is at The Medical University of Vienna, Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, Waehringerguertel 18–20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.,

    Stefan Wöhrer

  16. Michel Arock is at The LBPA CNRS UMR8113, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, 61 Ave du Président Wilson, 94235 Cachan CEDEX, France.,

    Michel Arock

  17. Johannes Zuber is at The Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 7, 1030 Vienna, Austria.,

    Johannes Zuber

  18. Hans E. Johnsen is at The Department of Haematology, Aalborg Hospital Science and Innovation Center, AHSIC Aarhus University Hospital, Sdr Skovvej 15, DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark.,

    Hans E. Johnsen

  19. Michael Andreeff is at The Department of Leukemia and Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston TX 77030, USA.,

    Michael Andreeff

  20. Connie Eaves is at The Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Agency, 601 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver BC V5Z 1L3, Canada.,

    Connie Eaves

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  1. Peter Valent
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Correspondence to Peter Valent or Connie Eaves.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary information S1

Classification of therapies according to their effects (PDF 427 kb)

Supplementary information S2

Overview of Mechanisms of CSC Resistance to Therapy and Strategies to Overcome Resistance (PDF 199 kb)

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Valent, P., Bonnet, D., De Maria, R. et al. Cancer stem cell definitions and terminology: the devil is in the details. Nat Rev Cancer 12, 767–775 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc3368

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