摘要：

Methods for selecting chemotherapeutic agents for treating a cancer are provided that include the steps of providing a cancer cell sample having a population of bulk cancer cells and a population of cancer stem-like cells, culturing a first portion of the cancer cell sample in a hydrodynamic focusing bioreactor under microgravity conditions and for a period of time to selectively enhance the population of cancer stem-like cells and selectively kill the population of bulk cancer cells, contacting the cancer stem-like cells with one or more chemotherapeutic agents, and then selecting the one or more chemotherapeutic agents for treating the cancer if there is an increase in an amount of cytotoxicity. Methods for treating a cancer are also provided in which the identified chemotherapeutic agents are administered to a subject. Further provided are methods for identifying a test compound useful for treating a cancer.

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