High aldehyde dehydrogenase and expression of cancer stem cell markers selects for breast cancer cells with enhanced malignant and metastatic ability.

ABSTRACT: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have recently been identified in leukaemia and solid tumours; however, the role of CSCs in metastasis remains poorly understood. This dearth of knowledge about CSCs and metastasis is due largely to technical challenges associated with the use of primary human cancer cells in pre-clinical models of metastasis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop suitable pre-clinical model systems for studying stem-like cells in breast cancer metastasis, and to test the hypothesis that stem-like cells play a key role in metastatic behaviour. We assessed four different human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-435, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, MCF-7) for expression of prospective CSC markers CD44/CD24 and CD133, and for functional activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH),

SUBMITTER: Croker AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6512388 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature