在过去的十年中,肿瘤干细胞(cancer stem cell/tumor-initiating cell,CSC/TIC)虽然受到广泛重视,但也是争论的焦点。如何正确认识CSCs假说,以及CSCs的生物学特点和CSCs的治疗应用这些问题都存在巨大的争议。该文对CSCs的起源、分离鉴定的方法,以及信号通路、微环境等对CSCs的调控关系,肿瘤的最佳治疗途径等问题进行综述。 Over the past ten years, cancer stem cells (tumor stem cells) have received much attention, but they are also the focus of controversy. How to correctly understand the CSCs hypothesis, as well as the biological characteristics of CSCs and the therapeutic application of CSCs are all huge controversies. This article reviews the origin of CSCs, the methods of isolation and identification, the regulation of CSCs such as signal pathways and microenvironment, and the optimal treatment of tumors.