MC3 Mucoepidermoid carcinoma cell line enriched cancer stem-like cells following chemotherapy.
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is common in human salivary glands. Surgery is the preferred treatment method for MEC and chemotherapy is often administered following surgery as an adjuvant cancer treatment; however, chemotherapy does not completely prevent tumor recurrence. Emerging evidence has indicated the existence of cancer stem-like (CSL)-cells in tumors. CSL-cells are important in the development, invasion and drug resistance of carcinomas. The present study aimed to investigate whether chemotherapy enriched the CSL-cells in the MEC cell line of MC3 using 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu). The MC3 cells were treated with 5-Fu, which enhanced the spherogenesis and vitality of the cells and upregulated the pluripotency gene, octamer-binding transcription factor 4. Side population analysis demonstrated that the proportion of CSL-cells also increased. These findings showed that compared with other types of cancer cells, chemotherapy was unable to effectively kill the CSL-cells resulting in an enriched CSL-cell subpopulation with a higher resistance to chemotherapy, which may have been key the recurrence of MEC.
Department of Stomatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China.
Louqiang
L
Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China ; Department of Head and Neck Oncology Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.
Longjiang
L
Li
Department of Stomatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China.
Yin
Y
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China ; Department of Head and Neck Oncology Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.
Ying
Y
Liu
State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China ; Department of Head and Neck Oncology Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.
Chunjie
C
Li
5-fluorouracil; cancer stem-like cells; cluster of differentiation 44; mucoepidermoid carcinoma; octamer-binding transcription factor 4