The hypoxic tumor microenvironment in vivo selects the cancer stem cell fate of breast cancer cells.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Tumor hypoxia is an independent prognostic factor associated with poor patient survival. Emerging evidence suggests that hypoxia can potentially maintain or enhance the stem cell phenotype of both normal stem cells and cancer cells. However, it remains to be determined whether cell fate is regulated in vivo by the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME). METHODS:We established a hypoxia-sensing xenograft model to identify hypoxic tumor cell in vivo primarily using human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF7. Hypoxic tumor cells were identified in situ by fluorescence of green fluorescence protein. They were further isolated from xenografts, purified and sorted by flow cytometry for detailed analysis of their stem cell characteristics. RESULTS:We have found that hypoxic tumor

SUBMITTER: Kim H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5840770 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature