Biological characteristics of CD90+ tumor stem cells in ovarian cancer cells

Xiaomang JIANG; Na ZHAO; Min LONG

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

There is a close connection between the occurrence and development of tumor stem cels and ovarian cancer. CD90+ is an important tumor stem cel marker.

OBJECTIVE:

To explore the biological characteristics of CD90+ tumor stem cels in ovarian cancer cels.

METHODS:

The CD133 and CD90 positive rate of SKOV3 and primary ovarian cancer cels were detected by flow cytometry. The CD90+ and CD90- relative expression in stem cels and epithelium was detected by RT-PCR. Transwel invasion assay was employed to observe the cel invasion ability, clone formation test was done to observe cel proliferation and differentiation capacity, suspension bal test was adopted to observe pluripotent stem cels. The tumor formation time and tumor formation rate were observed by limited tumor dilution in immunodeficient mice. RESULTS AND

CONCLUSION:

The positive rates of CD133 and CD90 in SKOV3 were significantly lower than those in primary ovarian cancer cels. The expression of CD133 and OCT4 in CD90+cels of SKOVS was significantly higher than that in CD90-cels of SKOVS. The expression of CD44, CD133, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase-1 and OCT4 in CD90+stem cels of primary ovarian cancer cels was significantly higher than that in CD90-stem cels of primary ovarian cancer cels. There were significant differences in the epithelial-mesenchymal related gene expressions between CD90-and CD90+stem cels of SKOV3 and primary ovarian cancer cels. With the increase of inoculated cels, the tumor formation rate of CD90-and CD90+ cels was increased continuously, but the tumor formation time was decreased. The tumor rate of CD90-cels was lower than that of CD90+cels. The number of transmembrane cels, cel clones and suspended cel bals was significantly higher in the CD90+ stem cels than the CD90-stem cels. These findings indicate that in ovarian cancer cels, CD90+stem cels can highly express stem cel-related genes and epithelial-mesenchymal related genes, which have a higher invasion, proliferation and differentiation ability, as wel as tumorigenic and pluripotent ability.