Cancer Stem Cells

The cancer stem cell model proposes that only a subset of tumor cells self-renew indefinitely. The study infers melanoma cancer stem cells indirectly from population dynamics and ABCG2 sorting rather than proving single-cell CSC identity. Long-term tumor growth is predicted to be controlled by expansion of the cancer stem cell compartment. Cancer stem cells can drive recovery after a transient senescence peak because they continue self-renewing and producing progeny. Cancer stem cell frequency may be higher in aggressive tumors because CSCs are not constrained like normal stem cells.