Tumor initiating cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas express high levels of CD44.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) is a major subtype of esophageal cancer causing significant morbility and mortality in Asia. Mechanism of initiation and progression of this disease is unclear. Tumor initiating cells (TICs) are the subpopulation of cells which have the ability t...

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Main Authors: Jiang-Sha Zhao, Wen-Jie Li, Di Ge, Pei-Jing Zhang, Jing-Jing Li, Chun-Lai Lu, Xiao-Dan Ji, Dong-Xian Guan, Hong Gao, Li-Yan Xu, Eng-Ming Li, Harmik Soukiasian, H Phillip Koeffler, Xiao-Fan Wang, Dong Xie
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2011-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3123317?pdf=render
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author Jiang-Sha Zhao
Wen-Jie Li
Di Ge
Pei-Jing Zhang
Jing-Jing Li
Chun-Lai Lu
Xiao-Dan Ji
Dong-Xian Guan
Hong Gao
Li-Yan Xu
Eng-Ming Li
Harmik Soukiasian
H Phillip Koeffler
Xiao-Fan Wang
Dong Xie
author_facet Jiang-Sha Zhao
Wen-Jie Li
Di Ge
Pei-Jing Zhang
Jing-Jing Li
Chun-Lai Lu
Xiao-Dan Ji
Dong-Xian Guan
Hong Gao
Li-Yan Xu
Eng-Ming Li
Harmik Soukiasian
H Phillip Koeffler
Xiao-Fan Wang
Dong Xie
author_sort Jiang-Sha Zhao
collection DOAJ
description BACKGROUND: Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) is a major subtype of esophageal cancer causing significant morbility and mortality in Asia. Mechanism of initiation and progression of this disease is unclear. Tumor initiating cells (TICs) are the subpopulation of cells which have the ability to self-renew, as well as, to drive initiation and progression of cancer. Increasing evidence has shown that TICs exist in a variety of tumors. However, the identification and characterization of TICs in esophageal carcinoma has remained elusive. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: to identify TICs in ESCC, ESCC cell lines including two primary cells were used for screening suitable surface marker. Then colony formation assay, drug resistant assay and tumorigenicity assay in immune deficient mice were used to characterize TICs in ESCC. We found that just the CD44 expression correlated with tumorigenicity in ESCC cell lines. And then induced differentiation of ESCC cells by all-trans retinoic acid treatment led to decreased expression of CD44. The FACS isolated cell subpopulations with high CD44 expression showed increased colony formation and drug resistance in vitro, as well as significantly enhanced tumorigenicity in NOD/SICD mice, as compared to the low expressing CD44 ESCC cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: our study has discovered a novel TIC surface marker, CD44, which can be utilized to enrich efficiently the TICs in ESCC. These findings will be useful for further studies of these cells and exploring therapeutic approaches.
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spelling doaj.art-77e68649a5e04f40bf69c15baa13e4642022-12-22T01:46:55ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032011-01-0166e2141910.1371/journal.pone.0021419Tumor initiating cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas express high levels of CD44.Jiang-Sha ZhaoWen-Jie LiDi GePei-Jing ZhangJing-Jing LiChun-Lai LuXiao-Dan JiDong-Xian GuanHong GaoLi-Yan XuEng-Ming LiHarmik SoukiasianH Phillip KoefflerXiao-Fan WangDong XieBACKGROUND: Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) is a major subtype of esophageal cancer causing significant morbility and mortality in Asia. Mechanism of initiation and progression of this disease is unclear. Tumor initiating cells (TICs) are the subpopulation of cells which have the ability to self-renew, as well as, to drive initiation and progression of cancer. Increasing evidence has shown that TICs exist in a variety of tumors. However, the identification and characterization of TICs in esophageal carcinoma has remained elusive. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: to identify TICs in ESCC, ESCC cell lines including two primary cells were used for screening suitable surface marker. Then colony formation assay, drug resistant assay and tumorigenicity assay in immune deficient mice were used to characterize TICs in ESCC. We found that just the CD44 expression correlated with tumorigenicity in ESCC cell lines. And then induced differentiation of ESCC cells by all-trans retinoic acid treatment led to decreased expression of CD44. The FACS isolated cell subpopulations with high CD44 expression showed increased colony formation and drug resistance in vitro, as well as significantly enhanced tumorigenicity in NOD/SICD mice, as compared to the low expressing CD44 ESCC cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: our study has discovered a novel TIC surface marker, CD44, which can be utilized to enrich efficiently the TICs in ESCC. These findings will be useful for further studies of these cells and exploring therapeutic approaches.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3123317?pdf=render
spellingShingle Jiang-Sha Zhao
Wen-Jie Li
Di Ge
Pei-Jing Zhang
Jing-Jing Li
Chun-Lai Lu
Xiao-Dan Ji
Dong-Xian Guan
Hong Gao
Li-Yan Xu
Eng-Ming Li
Harmik Soukiasian
H Phillip Koeffler
Xiao-Fan Wang
Dong Xie
Tumor initiating cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas express high levels of CD44.
PLoS ONE
title Tumor initiating cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas express high levels of CD44.
title_full Tumor initiating cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas express high levels of CD44.
title_fullStr Tumor initiating cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas express high levels of CD44.
title_full_unstemmed Tumor initiating cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas express high levels of CD44.
title_short Tumor initiating cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas express high levels of CD44.
title_sort tumor initiating cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas express high levels of cd44
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3123317?pdf=render
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