β-Catenin-regulated ALDH1A1 is a target in ovarian cancer spheroids.

ABSTRACT: Cancer cells form three-dimensional (3D) multicellular aggregates (or spheroids) under non-adherent culture conditions. In ovarian cancer (OC), spheroids serve as a vehicle for cancer cell dissemination in the peritoneal cavity, protecting cells from environmental stress-induced anoikis. To identify new targetable molecules in OC spheroids, we investigated gene expression profiles and networks upregulated in 3D vs traditional monolayer culture conditions. We identified ALDH1A1, a cancer stem cell marker as being overexpressed in OC spheroids and directly connected to key elements of the β-catenin pathway. β-Catenin function and ALDH1A1 expression were increased in OC spheroids vs monolayers and in successive spheroid generations, suggesting that 3D aggregates are enriched in cells with ste

SUBMITTER: Condello S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4275429 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature