NSU-MD Faculty Articles

Title

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

ISBN or ISSN

0020-7136

Publication Title

International journal of cancer

Volume

132

Issue

11

Publication Date / Copyright Date

6-1-2013

First Page

2578

Last Page

2588

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

DOI Number

10.1002/ijc.27936

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.

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

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

Link to Full Text
Peer Reviewed

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