Solid Tumor Fact Sheet

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Solid Tumor

Embryonic stem cells like these share many features in common with so-called cancer stem cells that many researchers think form the heart of cancers. Learn more about this image by clicking on it or see more of CIRM's stem cell images on our Flickr Photostream.

CIRM funds many research projects investigating the similarities between stem cells and the cells at the heart of cancer. Drugs targeting these so-called cancer stem cells could prove to be powerful weapons against the disease.

If you want to learn more about CIRM funding decisions or make a comment directly to our board, join us at a public meeting. You can find agendas for upcoming public meetings on our meetings page.

Learn more about stem cell research:
Stem Cell Basics Primer | Stem Cell Videos | What We Fund

Find clinical trials:
CIRM does not track stem cell clinical trials. If you or a family member is interested in participating in a clinical trial, please see the national trial database to find a trial near you: clinicaltrials.gov

Description

Solid tumors grow inside vital organs and destroy them. They appear in many parts of the body, including the brain, ovaries, and colon. In late stage cancer, tumors become malignant and shed abnormal cells that travel to distant areas of the body, where they grow and destroy other organs. Many different cellular and genetic changes cause cancer by damaging cells to the point where they malfunction and grow out of control.

Despite treatment with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or targeted therapy, in some cases, tumors come back. One hypothesis for this recurrence is that tumors harbor both cancer cells and a small population of cancer stem cells. These cells have stem cell–like properties including the ability to develop into a variety of differentiated cells, to self-renew and to remain inactive for long periods of time. Scientists suspect that these cells evade treatments that kill the bulk of the tumor cells and later go on to cause a relapse that is resistant to known treatments.

Catriona Jamieson of the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Describes Cancer Stem Cells

CIRM Grants Targeting Solid Tumors

CIRM Cancer Stem Cell Videos

Disease Team Award

CIRM has funded a solid tumor multidisciplinary team led by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles. All Disease Team Award recipients are expected to meet milestones along the path to reaching FDA clinical trial submission within four years. 

The solid tumor disease team is acting on recent technological innovations that allow the identification, isolation and growth of brain, ovarian and colon cancer stem cells in the laboratory. These cells are resistant to chemotherapy and radiation and differ significantly from the bulk of the tumor cells. However, this team has identified several drug candidates that kill these cancer stem cells, block their replication and prevent tumor growth. They plan to continue preclinical studies of these drugs to prepare for testing in cancer patients. They also plan to perform a thorough analysis of the oncogenes in these cancer-initiating cells and use this information to select additional drug candidates.

News about solid tumor research

Resources