Abstract
Cancer stem cells are defined as cells able to both extensively selfrenewand differentiate into progenitors. Cancer stem cells are thuslikely to be responsible for maintaining or spreading a cancer, andmay be the most relevant targets for cancer therapy. The CD133glycoprotein was recently described as a reliable cancer stem-like cellmarker in colon carcinoma. CD133+ cells are both necessary andsufficient to initiate tumor growth in animal models. The CD133+cell population and spheroid cultures contain cells expressing the stemcell marker Musashi-1 which is involved in maintenance of stem cellfate in several tissues and importantly, this expression is maintainedin stem-like cells derived from xenografted tumors. Here we discussthe potential use of the CD133 antigen in concert with Musashi-1 asmarkers to identify the colon cancer stem cell population. Since theupregulation of IL-4 cytokine was recently demonstrated to constitutean important mechanism that protects the tumorigenic CD133+cells from apoptosis, the potential benefits of standard chemotherapeutictreatments in combination with IL-4 inhibitors in the contextof human colon carcinoma, are also discussed.
Lingua originale | English |
---|---|
pagine (da-a) | 309-313 |
Numero di pagine | 5 |
Rivista | Cell Cycle |
Volume | 7 |
Stato di pubblicazione | Published - 2008 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- ???subjectarea.asjc.1300.1312???
- ???subjectarea.asjc.1300.1309???
- ???subjectarea.asjc.1300.1307???