Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a critical role in cancer development and growth. The aim of this study was to identify and isolate CSCs from populations of primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells, which were obtained from OSCC specimens and identified by cell morphology and immunohistochemical staining for keratin. CD133+ cells detected by flow cytometry comprised 0.41 ± 0.06% of primary OSCC cells and were isolated from primary OSCC cell populations using magnetic-activated cell sorting, revealing that 93.39% of high-purity CD133+ cells were in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Additionally, the growth rate of CD133+ cells was higher than that of CD133− cells, and in vivo tumourigenesis experiments showed that the tumourigenic ability of CD133+ cells was markedly stronger than that of CD133− cells. Moreover, CD133+ cells showed increased chemotherapeutic resistance to cisplatin and higher self-renewal ability according to sphere-formation assay, as well as higher mRNA levels of stemness-associated genes, including NANOG, SOX2, ALDH1A1, and OCT4. These results indicated that OSCC cells, which share certain characteristics of CSCs, harbour CD133+ cells potentially responsible for OSCC aggressiveness, suggesting CD133 as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target.
Highlights
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a critical role in cancer development and growth
After 3 days of culture, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells and fibroblasts were observed around the tissue (Fig. 1A), and after 15 days, cancer cells grew to 80% confluence (Fig. 1B)
Immunohistochemical staining for keratin showed positive brown staining in the cytoplasm of OSCC cells, whereas minimal brown staining was observed in the cytoplasm of the OSCC blank control group, in which phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was used instead of a rabbit anti-CK3 antibody (Fig. 1C,D)
Summary
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a critical role in cancer development and growth. The aim of this study was to identify and isolate CSCs from populations of primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells, which were obtained from OSCC specimens and identified by cell morphology and immunohistochemical staining for keratin. CD133+ cells showed increased chemotherapeutic resistance to cisplatin and higher self-renewal ability according to sphere-formation assay, as well as higher mRNA levels of stemness-associated genes, including NANOG, SOX2, ALDH1A1, and OCT4 These results indicated that OSCC cells, which share certain characteristics of CSCs, harbour CD133+ cells potentially responsible for OSCC aggressiveness, suggesting CD133 as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target. In vitro and in vivo results showed that stemness, adhesion, motility, and proliferation were significantly increased in the CD133+ subpopulation, with these cells fully capable of self-renewal and serial propagation of tumours in BALB/c mice These results demonstrate that CD133 can discriminate a specific OSCC cell subset that sustains cancer stemness and promotes tumour formation and chemoresistance
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
