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Fig. 3 | Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research

Fig. 3

From: RhoC: a fascinating journey from a cytoskeletal organizer to a Cancer stem cell therapeutic target

Fig. 3

Tumor induction models and the possible role of RhoC: The clonal evolution theory postulates that genetic abnormalities lead to tumor formation, with every clone of cells thus produced being equally capable of regenerating the tumor (a). On the contrary, the cancer stem cell theory proposes the presence of a minute sub-population known as cancer stem cells (CSCs), which alone hold the potential for resurgence of the various populations that constitute the tumor. This includes the differentiated tumor bulk, transit amplifying cells which are mildly pluripotent and proliferative and an intermediate substantially pluripotent “plastic” state (b). These cellular states are highly dynamic with cells being capable of constantly moving from one state to another. We propose that RhoC, with it’s involvement in multiple tumor phenotypes could play a pivotal role in regulating this “switch” via it’s downstream effectors

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