Characterization of medulloblastoma tumor stem cells

Introduction: Medulloblastoma is a devastating brain tumor of the cerebellum, encountered mostly in the childhood. Different assumptions regarding the cell type of origin are in discussion. There are similar characteristics between stem cells and cancer stem cells. Tumors may originate from the accumulation of mutations of normal stem cells. Characterizing properties of cancer cells might be mirror the location of the tumor origin cell type. Neurospheres are enriched with progenitors of different mature stages and with very few immature cells showing stem cell like phenotype. Working on established medulloblasto…