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Research conducted during the last few years supports the existence of cancer-inducing stem cells. Similar to physiologic stem cells, these cells have unlimited replicative potential, but they are thought to generate tumors. Accordingly, effective cancer treatment must eliminate this pool of tumor-initiating cells (TICs) to prevent tumor regrowth. In fact, the failure of current cancer therapeutics to eliminate these cells might explain the lack of effectiveness of many treatments.
Researchers investigated factors involved in proliferation of TICs in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), which is one of the most common and lethal types of brain cancer. The investigators discovered that exposure of GBM cells to bone morphogenic protein (BMP) activat…