Fibroblast growth factor signaling in embryonic and cancer stem cells

Dvorak, Petr; Dvorakova, Dana; Hampl, Ales

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2006.01.095

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Volume 580, Issue 12 , Pages 2869-2874, 22 May 2006

Fibroblast growth factor signaling in embryonic and cancer stem cells

Edited by Horst Feldmann

Petr Dvorak
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
- Center for Cell Therapy and Tissue Repair, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Corresponding author. Fax: +420 549491327.
Dana Dvorakova
- Department of Internal Medicine-Hematooncology, University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic
Ales Hampl
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
- Center for Cell Therapy and Tissue Repair, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Received 23 January 2006; accepted 30 January 2006. published online 23 February 2006.

Abstract

Cancer stem cells are cancer cells that originate from the transformation of normal stem cells. The most important property of any stem cell is the ability to self-renew. Through this property, there are striking parallels between normal stem cells and cancer stem cells. Both cell types share various markers of “stemness”. In particular, normal stem cells and cancer stem cells utilize similar molecular mechanisms to drive self-renewal, and similar signaling pathways may induce their differentiation.

The fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) pathway is one of the most significant regulators of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) self-renewal and cancer cell tumorigenesis. Here we summarize recent data on the effects of FGF-2 and its receptors on hESCs and leukemic stem/progenitor cells. Also, we discuss the similarities of these findings with stem cell renewal and differentiation phenotypes.

Keywords: Fibroblast growth factor 2, Signaling, Embryonic stem cell, Hematopoietic progenitor cell, Cancer