title: Increased PD-L1 expression in breast and colon cancer stem cells.
abstract: Here we report the expression of programmed cell death ligand 1/2 (PD-L1/L2) in breast and colon cancer stem cells (CSCs). The stemness of these cells was confirmed by their surface markers. Using flow cytometry analysis we demonstrated that PD-L1 expression was higher in CSCs of both cancers compared to non-stem like cancer cells. Consistent with this, detection of cellular PD-L1 proteins by western blot assay also showed increased PD-L1 protein in CSCs. In contrast, only trace amounts of PD-L2 were detected in CSCs of both cancers. Our results suggest that breast and colon cancers may be sensitive to PD1/PD-L1 immunotherapy and thus warrant further investigations of CSC targeted PD1/PD-L1 therapy.
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Yanheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Laboratory of Immuno-Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital &Institute, Fuzhou, China.|Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Mingshui
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Cancer Centre and State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Peihong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Zhi Ping
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Wenyi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; C423236:CD274 protein, human