Epigenetic Regulation of Normal and Cancer Stem Cells.

In many tissues, a cellular hierarchy exists in which a small population of stem cells is responsible for the production of the mature cells of the organ. The stem cells maintain themselves through a process known as selfrenewal. Similarly, tumors contain a minority population of cancer stem cells that maintain the tumor. Some factors that regulate this process of self-renewal are conserved from fruit fly to humans. Disruption of the regulation of selfrenewal results in cancer. Thus understanding the mechanisms that regulate stem cell generation has implications for normal development and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]