Leukemic stem cells

The biology of stem cells came to the foreground not only due to scientific but also due to clinical interest and it is one of the most developing fields of current biomedical research. The idea, that all tumor cells contain population of cells like stem cells, leads to the "cancer stem cells hypothesis". It says, that each tumor cell contains small population of cells capable to initiate and maintain the tumor growth. Tumors of the hematopoietic tissue were the first, where cancer or leukemic stem cells were isolated. Therefore, leukemic stem cells are so far the best understood cancer stem cells. However, despite the huge advances in the biology of leukemic stem cells, there are many properties still unknown. This thesis initially presents basic knowledges in the stem cell biology, including their origin and identification. Later it focuses on the stem cell hypothesis and describes of the main properties of stem cells in solid tumors. The main part of this thesis also shows in details the origin and properties of the leukemic stem cells and decribes some new directions in the targeted therapy of hematological malignancies