Recently, stem cell like side population (SP) cells have been found in many normal organizations and malig⁃nant tumors, which have the proficiency of differentiation and self-renewal. These cells play an important role in cancer stem cell research, though they occupy a low proportion in total cells. Here, we reviewed the foundation of SP cells, and their rela⁃tionship with stem cells, and the clinical application in the future.%干细胞样SP细胞是近年来在很多正常组织和恶性肿瘤组织及细胞系中发现的一种具有不同程度分化潜能和自我更新能力的细胞群体。虽然SP细胞在总体细胞中所占比例很低,但这部分具有干细胞特性的细胞在干细胞以及肿瘤干细胞研究方面起着越来越重要的作用。本文综述了SP细胞的发现、生物学特性、与肿瘤干细胞之间的关系以及SP细胞的未来临床应用等。最后对SP细胞的发展进行了展望。
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