CD133 and CD44 are universally overexpressed in GIST and do not represent cancer stem cell markers.

ABSTRACT: Although imatinib mesylate has been a major breakthrough in the treatment of advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), complete responses are rare and most patients eventually develop resistance to the drug. Thus, the possibility of an imatinib-insensitive cell subpopulation within GIST tumors, harboring stem cell characteristics, may be responsible for the clinical failures. However, the existence of a cancer stem cell component in GIST has not been yet established. This study was aimed to determine whether expression of commonly used stem cell markers in other malignancies, that is, CD133 and CD44, might identify cells with characteristics of cancer stem/progenitor cells in human GIST. CD133 and CD44 expression in GIST explants was analyzed by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, a

SUBMITTER: Chen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3366284 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature