Biological behaviors of lung cancer stem-like cells from human large-cell lung cancer cell line H460 / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To isolate lung cancer stem-like cells (LCSCs) from human large-cell lung cancer cell line NCI-H460 (H460) and explore their biological characteristics.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>H460 cells were cultured in serum-free medium in the presence of specific growth factors. Quantitative PCR (qPCR), flow cytometry and colony formation assay were performed to characterize the stemness of H460 spheres. Adherent H460 cells and H460 cell spheres were inoculated subcutaneously in nude mice and the tumor growth was assessed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The isolated LCSCs from H460 cells in serum-free medium grew as floating cell spheres and exhibited stronger proliferative activity than H460 cells. Compared with H460 cells, H460 cells spheres showed higher expressions of stem cell markers Sox2, Oct4, and especially Nanog, and possessed a stronger tumorigenicity in nude mice.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The serum-free culture system can effectively enrich lung cancer stem cells from human lung cancer stem cell line H460, and the high expression of Nanog may importantly contribute to the maintenance of cancer stem cell-like properties of the isolated LCSCs.</p>