title: Sphere-forming tumor cells possess stem-like properties in human fibrosarcoma primary tumors and cell lines.
abstract: Fibrosarcoma is a malignant soft tissue tumor of mesenchymal origin. Despite advances in medical and surgical treatment, patient survival rates have remained poor. According to the cancer stem cell hypothesis, tumors are comprised of heterogeneous cell populations that have different roles in tumor formation and growth. Cancer stem cells are a small cell subpopulation that exhibits stem-like properties to gain aggressiveness and recurrence. These cells have been identified in a variety of cancerous tumors, but not in human fibrosarcoma. In this study, we observed that HT1080 cells and primary fibrosarcoma cells formed spheres and showed higher self-renewal capacity, invasiveness and drug resistance compared with their adherent counterparts. Moreover, we demonstrated that the cells showed higher expression of the embryonic stem cell-related genes Nanog, Oct3/4, Sox2, Sox10 and their encoding proteins, as well as greater tumorigenic capacity in nude mice. In conclusion, our data suggest the presence of a stem-like cell population in human fibrosarcoma tumors, which provides more evidence for the cancer stem cell hypothesis and assistance in designing new therapeutic strategies against human fibrosarcoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University;
authors.forename: Wei-Dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chun-Lei
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Yu-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zheng-Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jiang-Kun
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shang-Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Wen-Bo
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Wang