title: A subpopulation of CD26+ cancer stem cells with metastatic capacity in human colorectal cancer.
abstract: Recent evidence suggests that a subpopulation of cancer cells, cancer stem cells (CSCs), is responsible for tumor growth in colorectal cancer. However, the role of CSCs in colorectal cancer metastasis is unclear. Here, we identified a subpopulation of CD26(+) cells uniformly present in both the primary and metastatic tumors in colorectal cancer patients with liver metastasis. Furthermore, in patients without distant metastasis at the time of presentation, the presence of CD26(+) cells in their primary tumors predicted distant metastasis on follow-up. Isolated CD26(+) cells, but not CD26(-) cells, led to development of distant metastasis when injected into the mouse cecal wall. CD26(+) cells were also associated with enhanced invasiveness and chemoresistance. Our findings have uncovered a critical role of CSCs in metastatic progression of cancer. Furthermore, the ability to predict metastasis based on analysis of CSC subsets in the primary tumor may have important clinical implication as a selection criterion for adjuvant therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Wai Lun
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Andrew C Y
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Jensen T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: Colin S C
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Ariel K M
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Lui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Leonard W H
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Xiao R
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Hui Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Victoria P Y
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Yau
authors.forename: Ronnie T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: Benjamin C Y
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary; D054443:Cell Migration Assays; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018819:Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D011379:Prognosis; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D018819:Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4; D005472:Fluorouracil