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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Feb 19.
Published in final edited form as: Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016 Oct 15;1866(2):276–289. doi: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2016.10.003

Table 1. Phenotypic Identity and Estimated Frequency of CSCs in Various Tumor Entities.

Generally, CSCs from hematological malignancies are better characterized which is likely the result of the decade-long research in the field of hematopoiesis as a paradigm for stem cell biology. Hence, the molecular signature of these cells is well-characterized and strategies to re-sensitize them to treatment are already being explored [186, 187]. Conversely, CSCs from solid tumors remain much more elusive, entailing ambiguous phenotypic identities and significant challenges for drug development in most tumor types. Nevertheless, CSCs from both hematological malignancies and solid tumors share many characteristic properties including clonogenicity, tumor-initiating potential, asymmetric cell division, activation of (embryonic) stem cell pathways, detoxification/drug resistance, niche dependence, and their implication in disease recurrence. Note that this table is intended to exemplify the differences and similarities between various CSC populations and also depict their elusive nature and the difficulties in defining them. Accordingly, this table does not claim completeness. ‘Very low’, ‘low’ and ‘int to high’ represent CSC frequencies of <1%, 1-10% and >10%, respectively. CSC frequencies are not directly comparable between studies owing to differences in methodology and/or sampled material. ALDH, aldehyde dehydrogenase; CSC, cancer stem cell; SP, side population.

Tumor Entity Marker Signature of CSCs Frequency Reference
Blood Cancers

Acute lymphoid leukemia CD34+/CD38-/CD19+ low [188]
Acute myeloid leukemia CD34+/CD38- low [107]
Chronic myeloid leukemia CD34+ ―― [14]
CD34+/CD38-/CD90+ ―― [189]
CD34+/CD38-/CD26+ very low [190]
Hodgkin lymphoma CD27+/ALDH+/(CD19+/CD20+) very low [191]
Multiple myeloma CD138-/CD34-/(CD19+/CD20+) low [192]
Myelodysplastic syndrome CD34+/CD38-/CD90+ very low [193]

Solid Tumors

Bone sarcoma Stro-1+/CD105+/CD44+ ―― [194]
CD133+ low [195]
SP+ low [196]
Breast cancer CD44+/CD24- low [6]
Colorectal cancer CD133+ low [133]
Lgr5+ low [135]
Wnt+ ―― [134]
CD44+ low [132]
Krt19+/Lgr5- ―― [131]
ALDH+ low [44]
Glioblastoma CD133+ int to high [197]
Hepatocellular carcinoma CD133+/CD44+ low [198]
CD90+/CD44+ low [199]
EpCAM+ low [200]
Lung cancer CD133+ int to high [125]
ALDH+ low [127]
CD44+ ―― [128]
CD117+ ―― [129]
CD90+ very low [130]
SP+ low [126]
Medulloblastoma CD133+ int to high [197]
Melanoma ABCB5+ int to high [139]
CD271+ int to high [201]
CD20+ low [202]
Ovarian cancer CD44+/CD24+ very low [118]
CD44+/CD24- ―― [119]
CD44+/CD117+ very low [120]
CD24+ ―― [121]
ALDH+/CD133+ very low [123]
ALDH+ int to high [124]
SP+ low [37]
Pancreatic cancer CD44+/CD24+ very low [203]
Prostate cancer CD44+/CD24- low [204]
SP+ very low [205]
Renal cell carcinoma CD105+ low [206]