title: Lessons from common markers of tumor-initiating cells in solid cancers.
abstract: Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) have emerged as the driving force of carcinomas, which appear as hierarchically structured. TICs as opposed to the tumor bulk display tumor forming potential, which is linked to a certain degree of self-renewal and differentiation, both major features of stem cells. Markers such as CD44, CD133, CD24, EpCAM, CD166, Lgr5, CD47, and ALDH have been described, which allow for the prospective enrichment of TICs. It is conspicuous that the same markers allow for an enrichment of TICs in various entities and, on the other hand, that different combinations of these markers were independently reported for the same tumor entity. Potential functions of these markers in the regulation of TIC phenotypes remained somewhat neglected although they might give insights in common molecular themes of TICs. The present review discusses major TIC markers with respect to their function and potential contributions to the tumorigenic phenotype of TICs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Grosshadern Medical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany. olivier.gires@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gires
mesh_terms: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051927:CD24 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D051928:CD47 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D005326:Fetal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D020410:Activated-Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule
chemical_list: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051927:CD24 Antigen; D051928:CD47 Antigen; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D005326:Fetal Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D010455:Peptides; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C105613:ALCAM protein, human; D020410:Activated-Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule; C116884:LGR5 protein, human; C000606023:PROM1 protein, human