A lot of research and more than a few researchers have assumed that tumor angiogenesis (angiogenesis is a big word for the physiological process of growing new blood vessels from pre-existing ones) and cancer growth depend on circulating endothelial precursor cells (endothelial cells are the cells that make up the lining of blood vessels. Endothelial precursor suggests a stem cell that has 'decided' to become a cell that makes up the lining of blood vessels). And apparently their assumptions have been wrong.
According to research done by the University of Helsinki in collaboration with Stanford University, this stem cell simply doesn't exist, although a lot of research is being done on the basis that it does. Research, including clinical trials, is being done on the assumption that endothelial precursors might provide a powerful avenue for blocking tumor angiogenesis. In other words, stop the endothelial precursors that were presumed to grow the blood vessels in the tumor and you cure cancer.
Except that now Dr. Petri Salven at the University of Helsiki, and stem cell pioneer researcher, Dr. Irving Weissman at Stanford have shown that circulating endothelial precursor cells actually do not exist. Further, they have shown that angiogenesis and cancer growth do not involve or depend on such non-existent stem cells.
Read the entire Science Daily story here.
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