Transient treatment with epigenetic modifiers yields stable neuroblastoma stem cells resembling aggressive large-cell neuroblastomas.

ABSTRACT: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are plastic in nature, a characteristic that hampers cancer therapeutics. Neuroblastoma (NB) is a pediatric tumor of neural crest origin, and half of the cases are highly aggressive. By treating NB cell lines [SKNAS, SKNBE(2)C, CHP134, and SY5Y] with epigenetic modifiers for a short time, followed by sphere-forming culture conditions, we have established stem cell-like NB cells that are phenotypically stable for more than a year. These cells are characterized by their high expression of stemness factors, stem cell markers, and open chromatin structure. We referred to these cells as induced CSCs (iCSCs). SKNAS iCSC and SKNBE(2)C iCSC clones (as few as 100 cells) injected s.c. into SCID/Beige mice formed tumors, and in one case, SKNBE(2)C iCSCs metastasized to the ad

SUBMITTER: Ikegaki N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3625318 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature