NSU-MD Faculty Articles

Cell-based selection provides novel molecular probes for cancer stem cells.

Publication Title

International journal of cancer

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ISSN

0020-7136

Publication Date

6-1-2013

Keywords

Animals, Aptamers, Nucleotide, Biomarkers, Tumor, Flow Cytometry, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Immunophenotyping, Male, Mice, Molecular Probes, Neoplastic Stem Cells, Prostatic Neoplasms, SELEX Aptamer Technique, Spheroids, Cellular, Tumor Cells, Cultured

Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSC) represent a malignant subpopulation of cells in hierarchically organized tumors. They constitute a subpopulation of malignant cells within a tumor mass and possess the ability to self-renew giving rise to heterogeneous tumor cell populations with a complex set of differentiated tumor cells. CSC may be the cause of metastasis and therapeutic refractory disease. Because few markers exist to identify and isolate pure CSC, we used cell-based Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (cell-SELEX) to create DNA aptamers that can identify novel molecular targets on the surfaces of live CSC. Out of 22 putative DNA sequences, 3 bound to ~90% and 5 bound to ~15% of DU145 prostate cancer cells. The 15% of cells that were positive for the second panel of aptamers expressed high levels of E-cadherin and CD44, had high aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 activity, grew as spheroids under nonadherent culture conditions, and initiated tumors in immune-compromised mice. The discovery of the molecular targets of these aptamers could reveal novel CSC biomarkers.

DOI

10.1002/ijc.27936

Volume

132

Issue

11

First Page

2578

Last Page

2588

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

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Peer Reviewed

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