title: Isolation and phenotypic characterization of cancer stem like cells from nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies reported that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for treatment failure and tumor recurrence. CSCs have been isolated and characterized in several solid tumors. However, the information regarding the CSCs from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is very less. Therefore, in the current study we aimed to isolate and characterize the cancer stem like SP cells from NPC.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have used FACS based Hoechst 33342 dye exclusion technique to identify the cancer stem like SP cells from NPC. The FACS sorted SP cells are further subjected to drug resistance assay, clonogenic formation assay and immunocytochemistry analysis for the expression of CD44 and ABCG2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have identified 3.9% of cancer stem like SP cells from NPC. Upon treatment with verapamil, the percentage of SP cells was reduced to 0.9%. The FACS sorted SP cells showed enhanced expression of CD44 and ABCG2. Further, these SP cells are highly resistant to multi-drugs and high potent of sphere formation when compared to the non-SP cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data clearly suggest that presence of cancer stem like SP cells from nasopharyngeal carcinoma might responsible for chemotherapeutic drug resistance, tumor recurrence and invasion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: G-H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: S-L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D002277:Carcinoma; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000235:genetics; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: C116614:ABCG2 protein, human; D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins