Zinc finger protein X-linked promotes expansion of EpCAM⁺ cancer stem-like cells in hepatocellular carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: Zinc finger protein X-linked (ZFX) is frequently upregulated in multiple human malignancies and also plays a critical role in the maintenance of self-renewal in embryonic stem cells. However, the role of ZFX in liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) remains obscure. We observed that the elevated expression of both ZFX and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) was associated with aggressive clinicopathological features and indicated poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ZFX was commonly enriched in liver EpCAM⁺ CSCs. Knockdown of ZFX decreased the proportion of EpCAM⁺ CSCs in HCC cells and suppressed their expression of stemness-related genes, self-renewal capacity, chemoresistance, metastatic potential, and tumorigenicity. Conversely, upregulatio

SUBMITTER: Wang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5527465 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature