Primary bioassay of human tumor stem cells

Patent Number: 4411990

Cancer stem cells have been known to exist for decades, as seen by the present patent whose actual first priority date is july 7, 1978.

Unfortunately, research into cancer stem cells is only recently gaining attention.

The cancer stem cell is the populatin which some believe is responsible for maintaining the tumor mass, while the other 99% of cancer cells are differentiated and have somewhat limited stem cell capacity.

The notion of the cancer stem cell indicates to some that chemotherapeutic agents may be developed against the wrong target since it is the stem cell and not differentiated cells that should be the target of therapy.

This patent provides one means of quantifying cancer stem cells through a two layer culture system.

View this patent on the USPTO website.