SC-derived gene expression profiles predict poor outcome for AML patients

Leukemic and Normal Stem Cell Transcriptional Signatures Determined by Functional Assays Are Predictive of the Overall Survival of AML Patients by Kolja Eppert and 11 co-authors, including John E Dick, Abstract #389, 51st ASH Annual Meeting, December 7, 2009. Final sentence:

Together these data support the hypothesis that the biological determinants that underlie stemness in both normal and leukemic cells are predictors of poor outcome, and are potential targets for novel therapy.

John Dick interviewed by Monya Baker

John Dick: careful assays for cancer stem cells by Monya Baker, Nature Reports Stem Cells 2009(Mar 26) [Full text is publicly accessible]. Excerpt:

What does the field need to move forward now?

It needs controversy.

The field of cancer stem cells needs controversy?

That's a little tongue in cheek. But it does. Controversy sparks better and better science. What it does is it actually eliminates sloppy thinking. There's been a real rush onto the cancer stem cell bandwagon in the last couple of years. People are talking about cancer stem cells here, there and everywhere, and in any old cell line. There was a huge slippage in the kind of criteria and rigor. People were using this terminology without any thought or any rigor based on some cell-surface marker or something like that. .....

[Thanks to Alexey Bersenev, via Twitter/cells_nnm].