Table 1.
Methods of isolating cancer stem cells
| Technologies | Principle | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Density gradient centrifugation | Differences in size and density70,71 | The toxicity of medium72 |
| FACS | Antigen–antibody hybrid73 | Requiring a lot of cells75,76 |
| MACS | Antigen–antibody hybrid73 | Complex operation74,75 |
| SP cells sorting | Hoechst 33342 dye & Microexamination/flow cytometry77 | Low separation efficiency84 |
| RNA-sequencing | Transcription | Overlooking signals from crucial cells102 |
| Single-cell sequencing | Transcription | Overlooking spatial differences103 |