Tumourigenic characteristics of embryonal carcinoma cells as a model for studying tumour progression of human embryonic stem cells.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The objective of this study was to compare tumourigenic characteristics of human embryonic stem cells (HESCs) and embryonal carcinoma cells (ECCs) to identify a robust and simple model for studying certain aspects of cell transformation and tumourigenesis, in tumour progression of HESCs.

Materials and methods

SSEA-3 positive ECCs (NTERA-2) cells were identified and compared to HESCs (ch HES-20) in terms of pluripotency and differentiation capacity, growth characteristics, gene expression profiles and signalling pathways.

Results

Our results showed that NTERA-2 cells shared similarities in expression markers of pluripotency to ch HES-20 cells. However, NTERA-2 cells also expressed some markers of differentiation and had a tendency to differentiate towards ec

SUBMITTER: Yang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6496526 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature