Evidences of cervical cancer stem cells derived from established cell lines.

According to the longstanding “clonal evolution”model of carcinogenesis, cervicalcarcinoma has long been described as a consequenceof unlimited and uncontrolled cellularproliferation conferred by multiple geneticand/or epigenetic mutations that can hit anysomatic cells within the tissue. However, inthe last few years, accumulating evidence hassuggested that the capacity of initiating atumor, including cervical carcinoma, is rathera unique feature of a small subset of stemlikecells called “cancer stem cells” (CSCs) or“tumor-initiating cells.” CSCs have the exclusiveability to self-renew expanding the CSCs pool,and to maintain the tumor differentiating intothe heterogeneous non tumorigenic cancercell types which constitute the majority withinthe tumor.1Although solid evidence is lacking to date,subcolumnar reserve cells emerged to be thebest candidate for cervical stem cells, whichprovide a depository for the regeneration ofthe mucous-forming epithelium. S