Abstract
Esophageal cancer is a disease showing poor prognosis. Although combination chemotherapy using cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil is standard for unresectable esophageal cancer, the response rate is 35%. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) and inflammation are reportedly responsible for the poor prognosis of esophageal cancer. However, comprehensive analyses have not been conducted and proposals for progress remain lacking. Iron is known to be a key factor in the stemness of CSCs. Our study focused on the therapeutic potential of iron control using iron chelators for CSCs in esophageal cancer. Among 134 immunohistochemically analyzed cases, Nanog expression was high in 98 cases and low in 36 cases. High Nanog expression correlated with low overall and disease-free survivals. The iron chelators deferasirox (DFX) and SP10 suppressed the proliferation and expression of stemness markers in TE8 and OE33 cells. DFX and SP10 did not induce compensatory interleukin (IL)-6 secretion, although CDDP did result in high induction. Moreover, BBI608 and SSZ, as other CSC-targeting drugs, could not suppress the expression of stemness markers. Overall, Nanog expression appears related to poor prognosis in esophageal cancer patients, and inhibition of stemness and compensatory IL-6 secretion by iron chelators may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for esophageal cancer.
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.
