Cancer Research Institute of Kanazawa University

　Accumulating evidence indicates the presence of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) in many types of tumors. They are defined as cell populations which have self-renewal ability and multi-differentiation capacity, and have been thought to contribute to tumor initiation and recurrence. Stem-cell properties are thought to be maintained in the CSC niche that is the tumor microenvironment surrounding CSCs. Therefore, our final goal is to identify key factors regulating the interaction between cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) and their niche.