无血清分离人结直肠癌细胞的体外培养形态及标志物表达特征

目的探讨人结直肠肿瘤干细胞在体外分化过程中细胞形态和干细胞相关标志物CD133的表达变化,为进一步研究结直肠肿瘤干细胞分化走向提供实验依据。方法取来源于人结直肠癌的细胞系HCT116,无血清培养分离出CD133+细胞,加血清诱导分化,相差显微镜下观察其形态变化;在未分化状态下无血清培养第7天和14天与血清诱导分化后收集细胞,利用流式细胞仪检测干细胞标志物CD133的表达量,采用激光共聚焦检测CD133表面标记分子的表达。结果 1)细胞形态:无血清培养分离的CD133+细胞,在生长过程中聚集成规则的细胞球,血清诱导后即贴壁生长,贴壁形态与同来源细胞形态一致,且再次无血清悬浮培养后聚集成球稳定生长。2)标志物变化:结直肠肿瘤干细胞未分化时CD133表面标记分子高表达,流式细胞仪检测未分化细胞CD133第7天表达率为(20.4±0.52)%,第14天表达率为(78.5±2.80)%,分化后表达率为(0.50±0.17)%。结论细胞形态和标志物表达改变均表明高表达CD133+的HCT116结直肠癌肿瘤干细胞可定向分化为同源的结直肠癌细胞,CD133+细胞经血清诱导后表达下调而使细胞失去干细胞特性。     

人结直肠癌细胞系的成球培养方法及转移侵袭能力研究

目的探索人结直肠癌细胞系形成肿瘤细胞球的培养方法及球体内间质化标志物的表达检测。方法结直肠癌细胞系SW480、SW620、LOVO、HT29及HCT116在添加了不同细胞生长因子的无血清培养基（SFM）中悬浮培养,传代更新,诱导分化。免疫荧光技术和RT-PCR分别检测细胞球中间质化标志物N—cadherin及Vimentin的表迭情况。结果5种细胞系均能在特制的SFM中形成细胞球,并稳定的传代增殖。在用血清诱导分化后,又重新贴壁生长,且与亲代细胞保持一致的细胞形态。细胞球中间质化标志物N—cadherin、Vimentin表达均上调。结论结直肠癌细胞系在低黏附及添加了细胞生长因子R—Spondin 1、Noggin的无血清环境中更容易形成悬浮生长的肿瘤细胞球,细胞球细胞比亲代细胞更具有转移侵袭能力。     

结肠腺癌中结肠癌干细胞的分离、鉴定

目的从人结肠腺癌组织中分离、鉴定结肠癌干细胞,并初步观察其生物学特性。方法利用新鲜结肠腺癌组织,无血清悬浮成球培养,流式细胞检测ESA、CD44表达情况,体外观察其诱导分化及CK20、Muc表达情况,Balb／C小鼠移植观察其成瘤情况。结果从人原代结肠腺癌中分离、纯化EpCAM^high CD44^＋结肠癌干细胞,结肠癌原代细胞中EpCAM^highCD44^＋细胞比例为1．7％～38％（平均5．4％）。单克隆形成实验证实结肠癌组织中存在肿瘤干细胞。其比例为（2．07±0．11）％,分离获得的EpCAM^highCD44^＋细胞能在无血清培养基中“成球”,在血清诱导下能贴壁分化;将EpCAM^highCD44^＋细胞移植在Balb／C裸鼠体内,表现出很强的致瘤性,移植瘤中EpCAM^highCD44^＋细胞比例为3．6％～43．2％（平均15．2％）,所有的移植瘤经组织学测定,均形成腺管样结构,表达结肠特异性分化标志物CK-20、中性上皮粘蛋白（neutral epithelial mucins,Muc）。结论人结肠腺癌组织中存在EpCAM^highCD44^＋细胞群,具有和普通干细胞相类似的无限增殖、自我更新和分化能力。     

Breast cancer stem cell: the roles and therapeutic implications

Breast cancers have been increasingly recognized as malignancies displaying frequent inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity. This heterogeneity is represented by diverse subtypes and complexity within tumors, and impinges on response to therapy, metastasis, and prognosis. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a subpopulation of cancer cells endowed with self-renewal and differentiation capacity, have been suggested to contribute to tumor heterogeneity. The CSC concept posits a hierarchical organization of tumors, at the apex of which are stem cells that drive tumor initiation, progression, and recurrence. In breast cancer, CSCs have been proposed to contribute to malignant progression, suggesting that targeting breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) may improve treatment efficacy. Currently, several markers have been reported to identify BCSCs. However, there is objective variability with respect to the frequency and phenotype of BCSCs among different breast cancer cell lines and patients, and the regulatory mechanisms of BCSCs remain unclear. In this review, we summarize current literature about the diversity of BCSC markers, the roles of BCSCs in tumor development, and the regulatory mechanisms of BCSCs. We also highlight the most recent advances in BCSC targeting therapies and the challenges in translating the knowledge into clinical practice.     

Analysis of OCT4 expression in an extended panel of human tumor cell lines from multiple entities and in human mesenchymal stem cells

OCT4 is considered a main regulator of embryonic stem cell pluripotency and self renewal capacity. It was shown that relevant OCT4 expression only occurs in cells of embryonic pluripotent nature. However, several recent publications claimed to have demonstrated OCT4 expression in human somatic tumor cells, human adult stem or progenitor cells and differentiated cells.We analysed 42 human tumor cell lines from 13 entities and human bone marrowderived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). To validate OCT4 expression we used germ cell tumor (GCT) cell lines, derived xenografts and GCT samples. Analysis by RT-PCR, western blotting, immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry was performed. With exception of typical embryonal carcinoma cells, we did not observe reliable OCT4 expression in somatic tumor cell lines and MSC. We suggest that a high level of expression of the OCT4 protein together with its nuclear localization still remains a reliable and definitive feature of cells with embryonic pluripotent nature. Received 30 September 2008; received after revision 05 November 2008; accepted 10 November 2008     

Survival of docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cells in vitro depends on phenotype alterations and continuity of drug exposure

We evaluated in vitro the effect of paclitaxel and docetaxel on PC-3 and DU-145 prostate cancer cell lines to understand better the downstream events in drug-induced tumor cell death. Taxane treatments of DU-145 cells induced rapid cell death by apoptosis, but in PC-3 cells, treatments achieved growth arrest, followed by extensive karyokinesis resulting in multinucleation, giant-cell formation and delayed cell death. To determine if the giant multinucleated cells were able to produce proliferating and drug-resistant survivors, we first delineated the kinetics of drug activity and cytotoxic dose range. Analysis of both lines by colorimetric and cell viability assays demonstrated improved cytotoxicity of taxanes applied continuously. Selected doses and schedules of docetaxel were used to induce giant multinucleated cells that gave rise to docetaxel-resistant survivors, which remained sensitive to paclitaxel and other chemotherapeutics. Growth and morphology of the recovered clones was similar to parental cells. The resistant phenotype of these clones determined by immunofluorescence and immunoblot was associated with transient expression of the β-tubulin IV isoform and was independent of P-glycoprotein, bcl-2 and bcl-xL. Resistant clones will be useful to model progression of resistance to taxanes and to identify unknown and clinically important molecular mechanisms of cell death and resistance. Received 15 March 2002; received after revision 25 April 2002; accepted 27 May 2002     

Very large common fragile site genes and their potential role in cancer development

Common fragile sites (CFSs) are large chromosomal regions that are hot-spots for alterations especially within cancer cells. The three most frequently expressed CFS regions (FRA3B, FRA16D and FRA6E) contain genes that span extremely large genomic regions (FHIT, WWOX and PARK2, respectively), and these genes were found to function as important tumor suppressors. Many other CFS regions contain extremely large genes that are also targets of alterations in multiple cancers, but none have yet been demonstrated to function as tumor suppressors. The loss of expression of just FHIT or WWOX has been found to be associated with a worse overall clinical outcome. Studies in different cancers have revealed that some cancers have decreased expression of multiple large CFS genes. This loss of expression could have a profound phenotypic effect on these cells. In this review, we will summarize the known large common fragile site genes and discuss their potential relationship to cancer development.     

Cancer spheres from gastric cancer patients provide an ideal model system for cancer stem cell research

Cancer stem cells have been hypothesized to drive the growth and metastasis of tumors. Because they need to be targeted for cancer treatment, they have been isolated from many solid cancers. However, cancer stem cells from primary human gastric cancer tissues have not been isolated as yet. For the isolation, we used two cell surface markers: the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and CD44. When analyzed by flow cytometry, the EpCAM⁺/CD44⁺ population accounts for 4.5% of tumor cells. EpCAM⁺/CD44⁺ gastric cancer cells formed tumors in immunocompromised mice; however, EpCAM^?/CD44^?, EpCAM⁺/CD44^? and EpCAM^?/CD44⁺ cells failed to do so. Xenografts of EpCAM⁺/CD44⁺ gastric cancer cells maintained a differentiated phenotype and reproduced the morphological and phenotypical heterogeneity of the original gastric tumor tissues. The tumorigenic subpopulation was serially passaged for several generations without significant phenotypic alterations. Moreover, EpCAM⁺/CD44⁺, but not EpCAM^?/CD44^?, EpCAM⁺/CD44^? or EpCAM^?/CD44⁺ cells grew exponentially in vitro as cancer spheres in serum-free medium, maintaining the tumorigenicity. Interestingly, a single cancer stem cell generated a cancer sphere that contained various differentiated cells, supporting multi-potency and self-renewal of a cancer stem cell. EpCAM⁺/CD44⁺ cells had greater resistance to anti-cancer drugs than other subpopulation cells. The above in vivo and in vitro results suggest that cancer stem cells, which are enriched in the EpCAM⁺/CD44⁺ subpopulation of gastric cancer cells, provide an ideal model system for cancer stem cell research.     

Targeted inhibition of Livin resensitizes renal cancer cells towards apoptosis

Cancer cells are typically characterized by apoptosis deficiency. In order to investigate a possible role for the anti-apoptotic livin gene in renal cell cancer (RCC), we analyzed its expression in tumor tissue samples and in RCC-derived cell lines. In addition, we studied the contribution of livin to the apoptotic resistance of RCC cells by RNA interference (RNAi). Livin gene expression was detected in a significant portion of RCC tumor tissue specimens (13/14, 92.9%) and tumor-derived cell lines (12/15, 80.0%). Moreover, targeted inhibition of livin by RNAi markedly sensitized RCC cells towards proapoptotic stimuli, such as UV irradiation or the chemotherapeutic drugs etoposide, 5-fluorouracil, and vinblastine. These effects were specific for livin expressing tumor cells. We conclude that livin can contribute significantly to the apoptosis resistance of RCC cells. Targeted inhibition of livin could represent a novel therapeutic strategy to increase the sensitivity of renal cancers towards pro-apoptotic agents. Received 30 November 2006; received after revision 22 February 2007; accepted 20 March 2007     

RNA干扰CD133基因对结肠癌干细胞生物学行为的影响

目的探讨CD133基因表达、活化被阻断后对结肠癌干细胞生物学行为的影响。方法从EpcAMhighCD44＋结肠癌干细胞中流式分选获得CD133＋细胞,感染LV-CD133shRNA载体慢病毒后观察CD133＋结肠癌干细胞在生长方式、成球能力、克隆形成率、成瘤能力以及ABCC2mRNA的变化;Westernblot分析CD133-细胞中CD133蛋白表达情况。结果EpcAMhighCD44＋结肠癌干细胞中CD133＋细胞比例为89．2％。实验组经过LV-CD133shRNA载体病毒感染后,在干细胞养液中细胞改悬浮生长的方式为贴壁生长,不能形成细胞球。MTT法测定发现细胞增殖减慢,克隆形成率明显下降。将感染细胞移植在Balb／C裸鼠体内,在观察期间,感染LV—CD133shRNA载体病毒的CD133＋细胞无肿瘤形成。ABCG2mRNA表达水平明显降低（P〈0．01）。从EpcAMhighCD44＋结肠癌干细胞中流式分选获得CD133-细胞,其中也有CD133蛋白的表达。结论CD133维持结肠癌干细胞生物学特性。     

The Lac repressor provides a reversible gene expression system in undifferentiated and differentiated embryonic stem cell

Control of mammalian gene promoters by the bacterial LacI repressor provides reversible regulation and dose-response levels of derepressed expression by the lactose analog isopropyl thiogalactose (IPTG). Here, we show that insertion of LacI-binding sites in the ubiquitous β-actin promoter confers a strong and dose-dependent IPTG-regulatable expression of transiently transfected reporter genes in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells expressing LacI. We established ES cell lines stably expressing reporter genes under inducible control and found a five- to tenfold IPTG induction of transgene expression. The kinetics of induction is rapid and stable, and can be rapidly reversed after IPTG removal. Importantly, this regulatable expression was maintained throughout the differentiation process of ES cells, and observed in individual differentiated cardiomyocyte-like cells and neuronal-like cells. This reversible system is the first to function from undifferentiated to individual welldifferentiated ES cells, providing a very useful tool to understand molecular mechanisms underlying ES cell self-renewal, commitment and differentiation.Received 17 March 2005; received after revision 19 April 2005; accepted 25 April 2005     

不同转移潜能乳腺癌细胞中EGFR的表达及意义

目的 研究表皮生长因子受体（epidermal growth factor receptor,EGFR）在不同转移潜能乳腺癌细胞中的表达,并探讨其在乳腺癌侵袭转移过程中的作用. 方法 利用人工基质膜侵袭实验获得高、低转移潜能乳腺癌细胞亚系,四甲基偶氮唑盐（MTT）法检测两系细胞生长曲线和倍增时间,流式细胞仪检测两系细胞周期,transwell侵袭小室模型比较两系的迁移能力.应用逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）和免疫印迹（Western Blot）检测EGFR在两系细胞中的表达. 结果 利用transwell小室成功筛选出高、低转移潜能乳腺癌细胞亚系;它们的体外生长速度、倍增时间、细胞周期和侵袭力具有明显差异;RT-PCR和Western Blot均显示在高转移潜能乳腺癌细胞中EGFR在基因和蛋白水平的表达均显著高于低转移乳腺癌细胞. 结论 EGFR的过表达与乳腺癌细胞侵袭能力显著性相关,EGFR在乳腺癌侵袭过程中发挥了重要的作用.     

Role of p75 neurotrophin receptor in stem cell biology: more than just a marker

p75^NTR, the common receptor for both neurotrophins and proneurotrophins, has been widely studied because of its role in many tissues, including the nervous system. More recently, a close relationship between p75^NTR expression and pluripotency has been described. p75^NTR was shown to be expressed in various types of stem cells and has been used to prospectively isolate stem cells with different degrees of potency. Here, we give an overview of the current knowledge on p75^NTR in stem cells, ranging from embryonic to adult stem cells, and cancer stem cells. In an attempt to address its potential role in the control of stem cell biology, the molecular mechanisms underlying p75^NTR signaling in different models are also highlighted. p75^NTR-mediated functions include survival, apoptosis, migration, and differentiation, and depend on cell type, (pro)neurotrophin binding, interacting transmembrane co-receptors expression, intracellular adaptor molecule availability, and post-translational modifications, such as regulated proteolytic processing. It is therefore conceivable that p75^NTR can modulate cell-fate decisions through its highly ramified signaling pathways. Thus, elucidating the potential implications of p75^NTR activity as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms of p75^NTR will shed new light on the biology of both normal and cancer stem cells.     

Colorectal carcinoma: from tumorigenesis to treatment

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a complicated and often fatal genetic disease. Fortunately, owing to rapid expansion of knowledge and technology development in oncology, much progress has been made regarding the diagnosis, understanding of the molecular genetics and malignant progression, as well as the novel regimens of CRC. In this review, we summarize the staging system, the most critical genetic and epigenetic alterations, the pleiotropic effects of MMP-7, the controversial roles of Hedgehog signaling, the intriguing involvement of thymosin β-4, and the possible contribution of the putative colon (cancer) stem cells in CRC tumorigenesis. Current treatments as well as several potentially applicable therapeutic strategies for CRC are also discussed. Received 15 September 2005; received after revision 3 November 2005; accepted 25 November 2005