TLR2 enhances ovarian cancer stem cell self-renewal and promotes tumor repair and recurrence.

ABSTRACT: Primary ovarian cancer is responsive to treatment, but chemoresistant recurrent disease ensues in majority of patients. Recent compelling evidence demonstrates that a specific population of cancer cells, the cancer stem cells, initiates and sustains tumors. It is therefore possible that this cell population is also responsible for recurrence. We have shown previously that CD44+/MyD88+ epithelial ovarian cancer stem cells (CD44+/MyD88+ EOC stem cells) are responsible for tumor initiation. In this study, we demonstrate that this population drives tumor repair following surgery- and chemotherapy-induced tumor injury. Using in vivo and in vitro models, we also demonstrate that during the process of tumor repair, CD44+/MyD88+ EOC stem cells undergo self-renewal as evidenced by upregulation of s

SUBMITTER: Chefetz I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3587452 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature