ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Studies have found that epithelial-mesenchymal transition is closely related with tumor invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance, but studies on the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the transformation process of gastric cancer cels SGC7901 to gastric cancer stem-like cels are rarely reported. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the transformation process of gastric cancer cels SGC7901 to gastric cancer stem-like cels. METHODS:Vincristine-induced SGC7901 cels were cultured and screened to prepare gastric cancer stem-like cels. CD44 phenotype, morphological changes, stem cel-related markers, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition related molecules were detected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After passage, vincristine-induced SGC7901 cels presented with morphological changes, and clonal cel spheres generated after serum-free suspension culture. Meanwhile, the proportion of SGC7901 cels positive for CD44 was decreased. Expression levels of SOX2, OCT4, Snail1 mRNA, Twist mRNA and Vimentin mRNA were significantly higher in the gastric cancer stem-like cels than SGC7901 cels, but the expression level of E-caderin was lower in the gastric cancer stem-like cels than SGC7901 cels. These findings indicate that gastric cancer cels SGC7901 can be successfuly transformed into gastric cancer stem-like cels, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition is involved in this transforming progress.