title: Cancer stem-like cell behavior in anaplastic thyroid cancer: A challenging dilemma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an undifferentiated tumor of the thyroid which is characterized with poor prognosis, leading to its aggressive behavior and resistance to conventional therapies. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are tumor cells that have self-renewal and clonal tumor initiation. Like other cancers, many studies have shown that ATC also has tumor cells with properties like stem cells. To evaluate the concept of cancer stem-like cell theory of ATC, we conducted this study to emphasize both on the concept of cancer stemness origin of these cells and target them for further therapeutic purposes. In the current study, we showed that two ATC cell lines, SW1736 and C643, have subpopulations (SP) that are similar to CSCs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using MACS technique, cells positive for CD133 were isolated and subsequently validated with flow cytometry. For further analysis, expression of some stemness markers was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ABCG2, CD133, and Sox2 were significantly up-regulated, while Nestin was down-regulated in CD133(pos) subpopulation compared to CD133(neg) cells. In contrast to previous reports that over-expression of Nestin was considered as a marker for thyroid CSCs, we noticed that expression of Nestin was declined in stem cell-like tumor cells, derived from ATC cell lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reconfirmed the concept of cancer stem-like cell identity of SW1736 and C643 cells. Indeed, the characterization of CSCs should not be merely based on surface markers. Cell origin and genetic background should be additionally considered on CSCs subpopulation of ATCs for therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Haghpanah
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Parviz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fallah
authors.affiliation: Liver and Pancreatobiliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naderi
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Rezvan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tavakoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: emrc@tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Bagher
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larijani
mesh_terms: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D064231:Nestin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D065646:Thyroid Carcinoma, Anaplastic / Q000473:pathology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C116614:ABCG2 protein, human; D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D015703:Antigens, CD; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D006023:Glycoproteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D064231:Nestin; C000606023:PROM1 protein, human; D010455:Peptides
keywords: ABCG2; Anaplastic thyroid cancer; CD133; Cancer stem cells; Nestin