title: Significance of CD90+ cancer stem cells in human liver cancer.
abstract: This study characterized cancer stem cells (CSCs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, tumor specimens, and blood samples. The CD90+ cells, but not the CD90(-) cells, from HCC cell lines displayed tumorigenic capacity. All the tumor specimens and 91.6% of blood samples from liver cancer patients bore the CD45(-)CD90+ population, which could generate tumor nodules in immunodeficient mice. The CD90+CD44+ cells demonstrated a more aggressive phenotype than the CD90+CD44(-) counterpart and formed metastatic lesions in the lung of immunodeficient mice. CD44 blockade prevented the formation of local and metastatic tumor nodules by the CD90+ cells. Differential gene expression profiles were identified in the CD45(-)CD90+ and CD45(-)CD90(-) cells isolated from tissue and blood samples from liver cancer patients and controls.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Research and Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. zfyang@hkucc.hku.hk <zfyang@hkucc.hku.hk>
authors.forename: Zhen Fan
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Michael N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Chi Keung
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Wan Ching
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ngai
authors.forename: Patrick W K
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Chi Tat
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Ronnie T P
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: Sheung Tat
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002469:Cell Separation; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens