Table 1

Stem cell activation types transforming normal stem cells into cancerous stem cells

Stem cell activation type
Target tissue/organ
Cancer type

Naturally activated stem cell: Inactivation of RB1 gene
Retinoblasts
Retinoblastoma
Loss of tumor suppressor genes (p53)
Breast
Breast
Expression of oncogenes (ras, myc)
Brain
Brain
Hormonal stimulation: estrogen
Breast
Breast
Inflammation: Crohn disease, inflammatory bowl disease, result in activated cell growth
Colon
Colon
Viral infection: Hepatitis B and C cause inflammation and extensive cirrhosis
Liver
Liver
Exposure to irritants like tobacco, asbestos cause inflammation
Lung
Lung
Bacterial infection: Helicobacter pylori and metal dust exposure cause inflammation
Stomach
Stomach
Loss of miRNA genes (miR15 and miR16) which act as tumor suppressors
Bone marrow
Chronic lymphoid leukemia
Enforced expression of miR17-92 cluster which acts as oncogenes
Bone marrow
B cell lymphoma
DNA methylation at 5-position at cytosine residue within CpGs by Dnmt1 (maintenance methyltranferase), Dnmt3a, 3b (initiate de novo methylation), Dnmt2
Colon
Colorectal
Methylation dependent repression of transcription by binding of methyl CpG binding proteins- MECP2, MBD1-4, Kaiso to DNA
Colon
Colorectal
Histone methylation by H3K4 Mtases, H3K9 Mtases, Suv39h1/Suv39h2, G9a, Eu-H Matse1, ESET/SETDB1
Prostate
Prostate
Histone acetylation via histone acetyltransferases (HAT) include Gcn5 family proteins, MYST protein, p300/CBP, TAF250, ACTR/SRC1 nuclear receptor cofactors mediate transcriptional activation
Breast
Breast
Histone deacetylation silences gene expression via HDAC I family, HDAC II family, Sirtuin family (Sir2)
Bone marrow
Acute myeloid leukemia
Blockage of DNA accessibility to transcription factors by polycomb group proteins which include Polycomb repressive complexes – PRC1 contains Cbx, Mph, Ring, Bmi-1, Mel18 and PRC2 contains Ezh2, Suz12 and Eed
Bone marrow
B and T cell lymphoma
Alteration in chromatin accessibility to proteins and restriction endonucleases by the disruption of association of histones with DNA using the energy by ATP hydrolysis via ATP dependent remodeling complexes (SWI2/SNF2 protein, ISWI enzymes, Mi-2/NuRD proteins
Bone marrow
Acute myeloid leukemia

Vaish Molecular Cancer 2007 6:26   doi:10.1186/1476-4598-6-26