Detection of Cancer Stem Cells Increases Risk for Poor Outcome
Laboratory studies using two filters refine method of finding the
cells
By Vanessa Wasta
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists have refined methods
used in a previous study to reveal rare pancreatic tumor stem cells
thought to fuel cancer growth and predict shortened survival.
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers and most
difficult to treat.
To sift away mature cancer cells from the rarer stem cell versions,
the Johns Hopkins scientists applied two filters to human pancreatic
tumors transplanted into mice. One filter was first used by
University of Michigan researchers to catch cells marked with protein
flags called CD44 and CD24. The next filter screened for cells
containing high levels of an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase,
also found in normal bone marrow stem cells. The Johns Hopkins
scientists previously used the enzyme filter to identify stem cells
in multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow.
The investigators say that using both filters resulted in a stem cell
population that was two to 10 times more concentrated than using
either filter alone. Only about one in 500 pancreatic cancer cells
has stem cell features.
"Purifying this stem cell population even further is key to
identifying the ultimate pancreatic cancer stem cell and eventually
identifying the processes that control it," said William Matsui,
assistant professor of oncology in the School of Medicine.
Investigators could use the information to create drugs that attack
stem cell-specific gene products and track stem cell populations as
the drugs take effect.
Further analysis revealed that pancreatic cancer stem cells marked
with aldehyde dehydrogenase were found in patients who survived on
average four months less than patients whose cells lacked the enzyme.
Cancer that spreads is the main culprit in cancer deaths, and the
Johns Hopkins researchers believe stem cells have a role in this.
"These stem cells have physical properties similar to the types of
cells that are invasive and likely to spread to distant sites," said
Zeshaan Rasheed, clinical fellow at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer
Center.
In addition to looking for new drug targets, the investigators are
planning studies to tease out stem cells' role in cancer metastasis
and disease outcome.
The scientists presented their findings at the American Association
for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, held April 12 to 16 in San Diego.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Additional
participants include Jie Yang, Qiuju Wang, Irwin Freed, Daniel
Laheru, Xiaobing He, David Berman, Manuel Hidalgo, Antonio Jimeno,
Hansbart Koorstra, Seung-Mo Hong and Anirban Maitra, all of Johns
Hopkins.
http://www.jhu.
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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