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Biological and Genetic Characteristics of Tumor-Initiating Cells in Colon Cancer

  • Gastrointestinal Oncology
  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Human prominin-1 (PROM1, CD133) was used as a marker to detect stem cells (progenitor cells) and cancer stem cells (tumor-initiating cells) in various tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the biological and genetic characteristics of tumor-initiating cells in colon cancer with both in vitro and in vivo analyses.

Methods

The CD133 expression of 12 colon cancer cell lines was evaluated. CD133+ cells were isolated by flow cytometry and examined for in vivo tumor formation, in vitro proliferation, colony formation, and invasion ability. Additionally, we used microarray analysis to compare gene expression profiles between CD133+ and CD133– isolated cells.

Results

CD133+ cells were found in 5 of 12 colon cancer cell lines. Isolated CD133+ cells from the HT29 colon cancer cell line exhibited a higher tumorigenic potential than CD133– cells in the in vivo tumor formation assay. Furthermore, it was shown that CD133+ cells are more proliferative and have higher colony-forming and invasive abilities than CD133– cells in vitro. Microarray analysis found differential gene expression correlating with CD133 expression.

Conclusions

It was confirmed that CD133+ cells in colon cancer are useful markers for the detection of tumor-initiating cells. Intimate biological and genetic features of CD133+ cells in colon cancer cell lines were also revealed. The biological characteristics of CD133+ cells and differentially expressed genes in these cells will help elucidate more details of tumor-initiating cells in colon cancer.

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Acknowledgments

We thank T. Shimooka, K. Ogata, M. Kasagi, Y. Nakagawa, M. Utou, Y. Miura, A. Harada, S. Matsuzaki, M. Ohkuma, S. Hirasaki, and K. Ishikawa for their technical assistance and advice. This work was supported in part by the following grants and foundations: CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, grants 17109013, 17591411, 17591413, 18390367, 18590333, 18659384 and 18790964; The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas, grant 18015039; Third Term Comprehensive Ten-Year Strategy for Cancer Control, grant 16271201.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery and Molecular Oncology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 4546 Tsurumihara, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan

    Keisuke Ieta MD, PhD, Fumiaki Tanaka MD, PhD, Naotsugu Haraguchi MD, PhD, Yoshiaki Kita MD, Hiroyuki Sakashita MD, Koshi Mimori MD, PhD, Toshifumi Matsumoto MD, PhD, Hiroshi Inoue MD, PhD & Masaki Mori MD, PhD

  2. Department of General Surgical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan

    Keisuke Ieta MD, PhD & Hiroyuki Kuwano MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Keisuke Ieta MD, PhD
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  2. Fumiaki Tanaka MD, PhD
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  3. Naotsugu Haraguchi MD, PhD
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  6. Koshi Mimori MD, PhD
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  8. Hiroshi Inoue MD, PhD
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  10. Masaki Mori MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Masaki Mori MD, PhD.

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Ieta, K., Tanaka, F., Haraguchi, N. et al. Biological and Genetic Characteristics of Tumor-Initiating Cells in Colon Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 15, 638–648 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-007-9605-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-007-9605-3

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