Invasion and Metastatization Laboratory, Department of Experimental Oncology, National Cancer Centre Giovanni Paolo II, Bari, Italy.
J Cell Physiol. 2013 Feb;228(2):408-15. doi: 10.1002/jcp.24145.
Although relatively good therapeutic results are achieved in non-advanced cancer, the prognosis of the advanced colon cancer still remains poor, dependent on local or distant recurrence of the disease. One of the factors responsible for recurrence is supposed to be cancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumor-initiating cells, which are a population of cancer cells with ability to perpetuate themselves through self-renewal and to generate differentiated cells, thought to be responsible for tumor recurrence. This study globally approach the possible role of tissue-derived stem cells in the initiation of colon cancer and its metastatic process in the liver. Fresh surgical specimens from colon cancer, non-tumor tissue and liver metastasis were obtained directly from the operating room, examined, and immediately processed. CSCs were selected under serum-free conditions and characterized by CD44 and CD133 expression levels. CD133(+)/CD44(+) cell populations were then investigated in paraffin-embedded tissues and circulating tumor cells isolated from peripheral blood of the same group of colon cancer patients. Our data demonstrate that metastatic properties of cell populations from blood and liver metastasis, differently from primitive tumors, seem to be strictly related to the phenotype CD133 positive and CD44 positive.
尽管在非晚期癌症中取得了相对较好的治疗效果，但晚期结肠癌的预后仍然较差，取决于疾病的局部或远处复发。导致复发的因素之一被认为是癌症干细胞（CSC）或肿瘤起始细胞，它们是一群具有自我更新能力并能产生分化细胞的癌细胞，被认为是导致肿瘤复发的原因。本研究全面探讨了组织来源的干细胞在结肠癌发生及其在肝脏转移过程中的可能作用。直接从手术室获得结肠癌、非肿瘤组织和肝转移的新鲜手术标本，进行检查，并立即进行处理。在无血清条件下选择 CSC，并通过 CD44 和 CD133 的表达水平进行鉴定。然后在石蜡包埋组织中研究 CD133(+)/CD44(+)细胞群体，并从同一组结肠癌患者的外周血中分离循环肿瘤细胞。我们的数据表明，来自血液和肝转移的细胞群体的转移特性，与原始肿瘤不同，似乎与表型 CD133 阳性和 CD44 阳性密切相关。
