Defining properties | Premalignant NSC | Malignant NSC = CSC/LSC |
---|---|---|
Self-renewal | Yes | Yes |
Cell cycle | Dormant or very slowly cycling | Slowly cycling or more rapidly cycling |
Immediate tumor-initiating potential | Noa | Yes |
Long-term tumor-initiating potential | Facultative potentiala | Yes |
Numbers of somatic acquired molecular lesions/mutations | Relatively low | Relatively high |
Drug response | Intrinsic resistance (based in part on quiescence) | Intrinsic and often also acquired resistance in malignant subclones |