The cancer stem cells market size was exhibited at USD 3.35 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit around USD 8.45 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 9.7% during the forecast period 2024 to 2034.
| Report Coverage | Details |
| Market Size in 2025 | USD 3.67 Billion |
| Market Size by 2034 | USD 8.45 Billion |
| Growth Rate From 2024 to 2034 | CAGR of 9.7% |
| Base Year | 2024 |
| Forecast Period | 2024-2034 |
| Segments Covered | Mode of Action, Cancer Forms and Region |
| Market Analysis (Terms Used) | Value (US$ Million/Billion) or (Volume/Units) |
| Regional Covered | North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA |
| Key Companies Profiled | Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.; AbbVie, Inc.; Merck KGaA; Bionomics; Lonza; Stemline Therapeutics, Inc.; Miltenyi Biotec; PromoCell GmbH; MacroGenics, Inc.; OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific; STEMCELL Technologies.; Sino Biological, Inc.; Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. |
The growing prevalence of cancer, increased R&D activities, and adoption of stem cells are some of the major factors driving the market. Currently, oncology therapeutics has entered a new era with conventional therapies such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, & surgeries on one side and stem cell therapies on another side.
Over the past few years, stem cells have been successfully utilized in immuno-reconstitution and for blood replenishment after tumor development or treatment. Furthermore, these cells have gained significant attention among healthcare entities for their employment as tools for delivering anti-cancer agents and tissue regeneration. A considerable number of entities have reported positive outcomes of using this mode of tumor treatment. While this therapy is receiving huge success in clinical oncology, a substantial number of published studies have mentioned cancer as a “Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) disorder”. Due to the introduction of this novel concept, an enormous potential for anti-CSC therapeutics has been created.
This approach enables comprehensive investigation of essential and poorly understood clinical events in tumor initiation, propagation, relapse, and metastasis. This is considered one of the major factors responsible for increasing interest in the cancer stem cell model. There is accumulating evidence that sheds light on the existence of cancer stem cells and their role in conferring drug resistance. This further allows generating of novel targets to overcome therapeutic resistance by controlling the regulation of these cells. Hence, CSCs, as potential therapeutic targets, enable therapeutic development that effectively combat tumor progression.
There has been a constant rise in the number of cancer cases and cancer-related deaths globally over the years. For instance, according to World Health Organization (WHO), in February 2023, cancer was responsible for approximately 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020, and it is the leading cause of death worldwide. Thus, it has become very important to find an efficient treatment to regulate cancer and improve the standard of living of cancer patients. This has increased the R&D activities in the market. For instance, in January 2023, Takeda announced its plan to acquire Adaptate Biotherapeutics for the development of novel gamma delta T cell engager therapies. This can provide Takeda a leading edge to utilize delta T cell’s full potential against cancer.
Moreover, several international and global organizations are working independently and collaboratively to discover new cancer stem cell therapy advancements. For instance, in Jan 2023, Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation gave a grant of USD 9.1 million to the American Cancer Society (ACS) to form a cancer stem cell consortium. This consortium is expected to advance discoveries in cancer stem cells for increased impact on patients. However, regulatory challenges regarding the approval and usage of stem cell therapies are anticipated to inhibit the growth of the market. In addition, certain manufacturing and pharmacological issues associated with this cell therapy development are estimated to slow down the progress of the market during the forecast period.
The cancer stem cells market can be segmented into two models of tumor treatment based on the mode of action. The first model incorporates targeted CSCs using monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, nanomaterials, and other natural compounds. The majority of commercially available drugs facilitate tumor shrinkage but do not target the root cause of tumor progression, which may further result in a relapse of tumor growth.
The targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) segment dominated the market with 58.7% share in 2024 and is expected to show lucrative growth over the forecast period. Increasing research on CSCs biology and their key signaling pathways, microenvironment, and surface markers are enabling the development of agents that target these aspects of CSCs to control their regulation. Of these aspects, agents targeting key pathways accounted for a major share.
Several review articles have documented the roles of these pathways in the functioning of CSCs. The second model deploys stem cells for tissue regeneration, immuno-reconstitution, and delivery of anti-cancer therapeutics. The stem cell usage against cancer segment is projected to grow at CAGR of 9.5% over the forecast period. Stem cells have the unique ability to differentiate into different cell types, which can be harnessed to regenerate healthy tissues damaged by cancer or its treatments. The use of stem cells in combination with other anti-cancer agents offers a novel approach to combatting tumors and enhancing patient outcomes. As research continues to explore the therapeutic potential of stem cells in oncology, the demand for innovative stem cell-based cancer therapies is driving the expansion of the global market.
This segment is further bifurcated into autologous and allogenic cell treatment. Autologous treatments captured a significant market share in 2024 in terms of revenue. Factors such as the advantages of autologous transplants, affordability, improved survival rate of patients, and increase in transplantation procedures are poised to contribute to the growth of the segment. However, it has been observed that many cell therapy companies are increasingly focusing on the development of allogeneic cellular therapy products. This is expected to result in noteworthy growth for this segment over the forecast period.
Breast cancer dominated the market with 25.0% share in 2024 owing to its rising incidence and a relatively large number of stem cell therapeutics for this tumor type. According to WHO, breast cancer was diagnosed in around 2.3 million women in 2020 and accounted for almost 6,85,000 deaths worldwide in the same year. In addition, according to an article published by the American Cancer Society (ACS), it is estimated that in the U.S., a total of 43,250 women will pass away from breast cancer with 2,87,850 new instances of invasive breast cancer in 2023. Women over the age of 50 account for 83% of new cases of invasive breast cancer and 91% of all breast cancer-related deaths. Moreover, the fact that autologous transplant has taken chemotherapy to the next level is likely to supplement the growth of the segment. Furthermore, stem cell therapies are successful in combating cardiotoxicity observed in survivors. Factors such as obesity, lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet, and alcohol consumption have been linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. These lifestyle choices can lead to hormonal imbalances and inflammation in the body, creating a favorable environment for cancer stem cells to thrive and proliferate.
Lung cancer is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 11.7% over the forecast period. The growth of the segment can be attributed to the high prevalence of lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, in the U.S., there can be approximately 2,38,340 new lung cancer cases in 2024, causing around 1,27,070 deaths. Moreover, ongoing developments to curb the rising incidence of lung malignancy worldwide are also expected to boost the segment growth. In November 2023, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced FDA approval of its Libtayo, a human monoclonal antibody, combined with chemotherapy for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
North America cancer stem cells market dominated the global market with 36.6% share in 2024 due to the presence of a substantial number of organizations engaged in conducting R&D activities related to stem cell therapy, developed healthcare infrastructure, and the prevalence of cancers such as breast cancer, blood cancer, and lung cancer. For instance, according to United States Cancer Statistics (USCS), in 2020, almost 16,03,844 people were diagnosed with cancer, and around 6,02,347 cancer-related deaths were recorded in the U.S. Moreover, several internationally recognized hospitals and medical institutes, such as Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center, offer stem cell transplant therapies.
U.S. Cancer Stem Cells Market Trends
The cancer stem cells market in the U.S. dominated the market with 71.7% market share in 2024 due to the country’s well established infrastructure and increasing number of R&D activities in cancer stem cells market. In
Europe Cancer Stem Cells Market Trends
The Europe cancer stem cells market was identified as a lucrative region in 2024. Presence of well-developed healthcare infrastructure with a strong focus on research and development.
The UK cancer stem cells market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years due to the increasing focus on personalized medicine approaches in oncology. With a strong National Health Service (NHS) and a growing number of research institutions, the UK is well-positioned to develop and implement targeted therapies based on individual patient characteristics, including the identification of specific cancer stem cells.
Asia Pacific Global Cancer Stem Cells Market Trends
Asia Pacific cancer stem cells market is expected to grow rapidly in coming yearsowing to the rise in cancer cases in the region. According to the GLOBCON 2020, around 4.5 million people were diagnosed with cancer in China. The presence of several organizations in the region that focus on the R&D of stem cells and funding agencies providing grants to research communities to accelerate their scientific research on cancer stem cells in Asian countries are also expected to propel the regional growth of the cancer stem cell market. For instance, according to an article published by South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. in September 2023, scientists at the Chines Academy of Sciences’ Key Laboratory of RNA Biology have successfully developed nanoparticles to target and eliminate cancer stem cells. The experiment was said to be successful on laboratory rats.
The significant market share of cancer stem cells in China in 2024 can be attributed the country’s large population and the high incidence of cancer cases. The cancer stem cells market in India held a substantial market share due to several factors such as India’s expanding healthcare infrastructure, growing aging population and changing lifestyle factors.
This report forecasts revenue growth at country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2021 to 2034. For this study, Nova one advisor, Inc. has segmented the cancer stem cells market
By Mode of Action
By Cancer Forms
By Regional
Cross-segment Market Size and Analysis for Mentioned Segments
Additional Company Profiles
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Additional Countries (Apart
From Mentioned Countries)
Country/Region-specific Report
Go To Market Strategy
Region Specific Market DynamicsRegion Level Market Share Import Export AnalysisProduction AnalysisOthers