Cryptotanshinone targets tumor-initiating cells through down-regulation of stemness genes expression.
Recent evidence indicates that tumor-initiating cells (TICs), also called cancer stem cells (CSCs), are responsible for tumor initiation and progression, therefore representing an important cell population that may be used as a target for the development of future anticancer therapies. In the present study, Cryptotanshinone (CT), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, was demonstrated to regulate the behaviors of LNCaP prostate cells and prostate LNCaP TICs. The results demonstrate that treatment with CT alters cellular proliferation, cell cycle status, migration, viability, colony formation and notably, sphere formation and down-regulation of stemness genes (Nanog, OCT4, SOX2, β-catenin, CXCR4) in TICs. The present study demonstrates that CT targets the LNCaP CD44+CD24- population that is representative of prostate TICs and also affects total LNCaP cells as well via down-regulation of stemness genes. The strong effect with which CT has on prostate TICs suggests that CT may potentially function as a novel natural anticancer agent that specifically targets TICs.
Cancer Stem Cell Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Center for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Oncology Department, Guang An Men Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, P.R. China.
Ying
Y
Zhang
Cancer Stem Cell Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Center for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
Stephanie M
SM
Cabarcas
Cancer Stem Cell Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Center for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
J I
JI
Zheng
Cancer Stem Cell Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Center for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
Lei
L
Sun
Cancer Stem Cell Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Center for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
Lesley A
LA
Mathews
Cancer Stem Cell Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Center for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
Xiaohu
X
Zhang
Cancer Stem Cell Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Center for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Oncology Department, Guang An Men Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, P.R. China.
Hongsheng
H
Lin
Cancer Stem Cell Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Center for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
William L
WL
Farrar
Chinese medicine; Cryptotanshinone; prostate cancer; stemness genes; tumor-initiating cells