Figure 1.

Origin of lung cancer stem cells. CSCs share many properties of tissue specific stem cells, including phenotype, self-renewal capacity, and multipotency. ESC or iPS cells have self-renewal ability and are programmed towards functioning as NTSC. Response to intrinsic or microenvironmental signaling cues may result in CSC development from PC, mature differentiated cells, cancer cells by phenotypic conversion, and NTSC by transformation. The dedifferentiation process is orchestrated by EMT and/or induction or derepression of reprogramming processes. ESC, embryonic stem cell; iPS, induced pluripotent stem cells; NTSC, normal tissue-specific stem cells; PC, progenitor cells.