Awards

• Nominated for Philip J. Pauly Book Prize 2016

Overview

An innovative theory proposes a new therapeutic strategy to break the stalemate in the war on cancer. It is called cancer stem cell (CSC) theory, and Lucie Laplane offers a comprehensive analysis, based on an original interdisciplinary approach that combines biology, biomedical history, and philosophy. Rather than treat cancer by aggressively trying to eliminate all cancerous cells-with harmful side effects for patients-CSC theory suggests the possibility of targeting the CSCs, a small fraction of cells that lie at the root of cancers. CSCs are cancer cells that also have the defining properties of stem cells-the abilities to self-renew and to differentiate. According to this theory, only CSCs and no other cancer cells can induce tumor formation. To date, researchers have not agreed on the defining feature of CSCs-their stemness. Drawing from a philosophical perspective, Laplane shows that there are four possible ways to understand this property: stemness can be categorical (an intrinsic property of stem cells), dispositional (an intrinsic property whose expression depends on external stimuli), relational (an extrinsic property determined by a cell's relationship with the microenvironment), or systemic (an extrinsic property controlled at the system level). Our ability to cure cancers may well depend upon determining how these definitions apply to different types of cancers.

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Reviews

Laplane places us right in the center of an urgently important discussion of cancer stem cells and the therapies that should accompany different theories. Her fresh philosophical perspective introduces us to a science in process, where the outcome is unknown and even the terms of debate remain contested. -- Jane Maienschein, author of <i>Embryos under the Microscope</i> If you had doubts about the utility of philosophy for science, read this book. Its lucid exploration of stem cells will convince you that even cancer therapy can benefit from the lights of philosophy. -- Michel Morange, author of <i>A History of Molecular Biology</i> Builds a much broader framework for understanding the biology of stem cells of all types…Laplane’s rigorous analyses unveil deep semantic and conceptual problems in the field…Laplane’s stemness framework should be of great value…A philosopher may indeed have straightened out the stem-cell field. -- Hans Clever * Nature *

If you had doubts about the utility of philosophy for science, read this book. Its lucid exploration of stem cells will convince you that even cancer therapy can benefit from the lights of philosophy.--Michel Morange, author of A History of Molecular Biology

Laplane places us right in the center of an urgently important discussion of cancer stem cells and the therapies that should accompany different theories. Her fresh philosophical perspective introduces us to a science in process, where the outcome is unknown and even the terms of debate remain contested.--Jane Maienschein, author of Embryos under the Microscope

Author Information

Lucie Laplane is a researcher in Philosophy of Science at the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Institut Gustave Roussy.

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