title: High aldehyde dehydrogenase activity identifies cancer stem cells in human cervical cancer.
abstract: High aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity characterizes a subpopulation of cells with cancer stem cell (CSC) properties in several malignancies. To clarify whether ALDH can be used as a marker of cervical cancer stem cells (CCSCs), ALDH high and ALDH low cells were sorted from 4 cervical cancer cell lines and 5 primary tumor xenografts and examined for CSC characteristics. Here, we demonstrate that cervical cancer cells with high ALDH activity fulfill the functional criteria for CSCs: (1) ALDH high cells, unlike ALDH low cells, are highly tumorigenic in vivo; (2) ALDH high cells can give rise to both ALDH high and ALDH low cells in vitro and in vivo, thereby establishing a cellular hierarchy; and (3) ALDH high cells have enhanced self-renewal and differentiation potentials. Additionally, ALDH high cervical cancer cells are more resistant to cisplatin treatment than ALDH low cells. Finally, expression of the stem cell self-renewal-associated transcription factors OCT4, NANOG, KLF4 and BMI1 is elevated in ALDH high cervical cancer cells. Taken together, our data indicated that high ALDH activity may represent both a functional marker for CCSCs and a target for novel cervical cancer therapies.
authors: Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of the Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, The People's Republic of China.
authors: Shu-Yan
authors: SY
authors: Liu
authors: Peng-Sheng
authors: PS
authors: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C000715467:KLF4 protein, human; C000715468:Klf4 protein, mouse; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase