Investigating the properties of cancer stem cells and epithelial to mesenchymal transition in human prostate cancer

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Dunning-Foreman, NL, 2012. Investigating the properties of cancer stem cells and epithelial to mesenchymal transition in human prostate cancer. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

In recent years, the cancer stem cell hypothesis has emerged as a compelling but controversial model of cancer progression. Contrary to the clonal evolution model, the cancer stem cell hypothesis postulates that, akin to normal tissues, tumours are hierarchical and only a rare subpopulation of cells, so-called “cancer stem cells” (CSCs), possess the unique biological properties required for tumourigenesis. In addition to tumour initiation, cancer stem cells are held solely accountable for tumour differentiation, tumour maintenance, tumour spread and tumour relapse following therapy. Of late, there has been much evidence to suggest that cancer cells reactivate the latent embryonic programme, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), in order to acquire the invasive and migratory properties necessary for the successful completion of the invasion-metastasis cascade. Intriguingly, the EMT programme was recently implicated in the generation of cells with the properties of stem cells in a breast cancer model, therefore, it is evident that multiple populations of CSCs may exist within a given tumour. Since metastasis is accountable for the vast majority of cancer-associated mortalities and CSCs are implicated in therapy failure and subsequent cancer relapse, it is apparent that epithelial to mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cells are of utmost clinical relevance.

Item Type:	Thesis
Creators:	Dunning-Foreman, N.L.
Date:	2012
Rights:	This work is the intellectual property of the author, and may also be owned by the research sponsor(s) and/or Nottingham Trent University. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed in the first instance to the author.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	EPrints Services
Date Added:	09 Oct 2015 09:33
Last Modified:	09 Oct 2015 09:33
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/67