Mechanobiology of Cancer Stem Cells and Their Niche

Schematic representation of the two familiar models of cancer initiation and progression. a. Stochastic model: According to this model, each cancer cell of a tumor is equally potent to continuously divide and form tumor. b. Hierarchical model: According to this model, only few cells called cancer stem cells of a tumor are capable of dividing, differentiating and reinitiating tumor. Other cells are not generally able to perpetuate a tumor, though they possess the ability to dedifferentiate into cancer stem cell