Animals ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; pathology

Colorectal cancer (CRC) as a common malignancy in the digestive tract, its incidence and mortality increase significantly in China. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are defined as a small fraction of tumor initiating cells that are endowed with both self-renewal and tumor growth potential. They may be responsible for tumor progression, metastasis, relapse and drug-resistance. Therefore, the isolation and characterization of tumorigenic CSCs in CRC may help to devise novel diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. This review briefly discusses the most recent advances in research on colorectal cancer stem cells including definition of the cancer stem cells, origin and specific markers of the colorectal CSCs. Transduction signal pathway involved in CSCs, potential therapeutic strategies targeting CSCs, and current issues in CSCs related research are also discussed.
Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; metabolism ; pathology ; Signal Transduction

Actins ; metabolism ; Breast ; cytology ; metabolism ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; Female ; Humans ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; metabolism ; pathology ; Signal Transduction ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a subpopulation of cancer cells with ability of initiating tumorigenesis, exist in many kinds of tumors including breast cancer. Cancer stem cells contribute to treatment resistance and relapse. Conventional treatments only kill differentiated cancer cells, but spare CSCs. Combining conventional treatments with therapeutic drugs targeting to CSCs will eradicate cancer cells more efficiently. Studying the molecular mechanisms of CSCs regulation is essential for developing new therapeutic strategies. Growing evidences showed CSCs are regulated by non-coding RNA (ncRNA) including microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and histone-modifiers, such as let-7, miR-93, miR-100, HOTAIR, Bmi-1 and EZH2. Herein we review the roles of microRNAs, lncRNAs and histone-modifiers especially Polycomb family proteins in regulating breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs).
Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Histones ; metabolism ; Humans ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; metabolism ; RNA, Untranslated ; genetics ; metabolism

Cell Proliferation ; Colony-Forming Units Assay ; Glioma ; pathology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; pathology ; Humans ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism

As pioneer of tumor stem cell research, leukemia stem cell research has not only important theoretical significance, but also clinical application potential. The survival and development of stem cells are directly impacted by their microenvironment. The research on leukemia stem cells and their microenvironment are now becoming a hot topic. The author presumes that stem cells are a population with heterogenecity and hierarchy; any single cell from the population is difficult to form a clone; the interaction between the leukemia stem cell and its microenvironment can be described by the concept of leukemia stem cell niche. In this article, the leukemia cell population with heterogenecity and hierarchy as well as leukemia stem cell niche were summarized and discussed.
Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Leukemia ; genetics ; pathology ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; metabolism ; pathology ; Stem Cell Niche ; cytology ; Stromal Cells ; cytology ; immunology

Breast ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Keratin-5 ; metabolism ; Keratin-6 ; metabolism ; Precancerous Conditions ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Stem Cells ; metabolism ; pathology

Detailed characterizations of genomic alterations have not identified subtype-specific vulnerabilities in adult gliomas. Mapping gliomas into developmental programs may uncover new vulnerabilities that are not strictly related to genomic alterations. After identifying conserved gene modules co-expressed with EGFR or PDGFRA (EM or PM), we recently proposed an EM/PM classification scheme for adult gliomas in a histological subtype- and grade-independent manner. By using cohorts of bulk samples, paired primary and recurrent samples, multi-region samples from the same glioma, single-cell RNA-seq samples, and clinical samples, we here demonstrate the temporal and spatial stability of the EM and PM subtypes. The EM and PM subtypes, which progress in a subtype-specific mode, are robustly maintained in paired longitudinal samples. Elevated activities of cell proliferation, genomic instability and microenvironment, rather than subtype switching, mark recurrent gliomas. Within individual gliomas, the EM/PM subtype was preserved across regions and single cells. Malignant cells in the EM and PM gliomas were correlated to neural stem cell and oligodendrocyte progenitor cell compartment, respectively. Thus, while genetic makeup may change during progression and/or within different tumor areas, adult gliomas evolve within a neurodevelopmental framework of the EM and PM molecular subtypes. The dysregulated developmental pathways embedded in these molecular subtypes may contain subtype-specific vulnerabilities.
Humans ; Brain Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/metabolism* ; Glioma/pathology* ; Neural Stem Cells/pathology* ; Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells/pathology* ; Tumor Microenvironment

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Disease Progression ; Endothelial Cells ; pathology ; Humans ; Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase ; metabolism ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; pathology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; pathology ; Stem Cells ; pathology ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; pathology

Objective: To investigate the effects of exosomes from human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) on pulmonary vascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) injury in septic mice and its mechanism. Methods: The experimental research method was adopted. The primary ADSCs were isolated and cultured from the discarded fresh adipose tissue of 3 patients (female, 10-25 years old), who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University undergoing abdominal surgery, and the cell morphology was observed by inverted phase contrast microscope on the 5^th day. The expressions of CD29, CD34, CD44, CD45, CD73, and CD90 of ADSCs in the third passage were detected by flow cytometry. The third to the fifth passage of ADSCs were collected, and their exosomes from the cell supernatant were obtained by differential ultracentrifugation, and the shape, particle size, and the protein expressions of CD9, CD63, tumor susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101), and β-actin of exosomes were detected, respectively, by transmission electron microscopy, nano-particle tracking analysis and Western blotting. Twenty-four adult male BALB/c mice were adopted and were divided into normal control group, caecal ligation perforation (CLP) alone group, and CLP+ADSC-exosome group with each group of 8 according to random number table (the same grouping method below) and were treated accordingly. At 24 h after operation, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) levels of mice serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and lung tissue morphology of mice was detected by hematoxylin-eosin and myeloperoxidase staining, and the expression of 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) of mouse lung cells was detected by immunofluorescence method. Primary PMVECs were obtained from 1-month-old C57 mice regardless gender by tissue block method. The expression of CD31 of PMVECs was detected by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. The third passage of PMVECs was co-cultured with ADSCs derived exosomes for 12 h, and the phagocytosis of exosomes by PMVECs was detected by PKH26 kit. The third passage of PMVECs were adopted and were divided into blank control group, macrophage supernatant alone group, and macrophage supernatant+ADSC-exosome group, with 3 wells in each group, which were treated accordingly. After 24 h, the content of reactive oxygen species in cells was detected by flow cytometry, the expression of 8-OHdG in cells was detected by immunofluorescence, and Transwell assay was used to determine the permeability of cell monolayer. The number of samples in above were all 3. Data were statistically analyzed with one-way analysis of variance and least significant difference t test. Results: The primary ADSCs were isolated and cultured to day 5, growing densely in a spindle shape with a typical swirl-like. The percentages of CD29, CD44, CD73 and CD90 positive cells of ADSCs in the third passage were all >90%, and the percentages of CD34 and CD45 positive cells were <5%. Exosomes derived from ADSCs of the third to fifth passages showed a typical double-cavity disc-like structure with an average particle size of 103 nm, and the protein expressions of CD9, CD63 and TSG101 of exosomes were positive, while the protein expression of β-actin of exosomes was negative. At 24 h after operation, compared with those in normal control group, both the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β of mice serum in CLP alone group were significantly increased (with t values of 28.76 and 29.69, respectively, P<0.01); compared with those in CLP alone group, both the content of TNF-α and IL-1β of mice serum in CLP+ADSC-exosome group was significantly decreased (with t values of 9.90 and 4.76, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01). At 24 h after surgery, the pulmonary tissue structure of mice in normal control group was clear and complete without inflammatory cell infiltration; compared with those in normal control group, the pulmonary tissue edema and inflammatory cell infiltration of mice in CLP alone group were more obvious; compared with those in CLP alone group, the pulmonary tissue edema and inflammatory cell infiltration of mice in CLP+ADSC-exosome group were significantly reduced. At 24 h after operation, endothelial cells in lung tissues of mice in 3 groups showed positive expression of CD31; compared with that in normal control group, the fluorescence intensity of 8-OHdG positive cells of the lung tissues of mice in CLP alone group was significantly increased, and compared with that in CLP alone group, the fluorescence intensity of 8-OHdG positive cells in the lung tissues of mice in CLP+ADSC-exosome group was significantly decreased. The PMVECs in the 3^rd passage showed CD31 positive expression by immunofluorescence, and the result of flow cytometry showed that CD31 positive cells accounted for 99.5%. At 12 h after co-culture, ADSC-derived exosomes were successfully phagocytose by PMVECs and entered its cytoplasm. At 12 h after culture of the third passage of PMVECs, compared with that in blank control group, the fluorescence intensity of reactive oxygen species of PMVECs in macrophage supernatant alone group was significantly increased (t=15.73, P<0.01); compared with that in macrophage supernatant alone group, the fluorescence intensity of reactive oxygen species of PMVECs in macrophage supernatant+ADSC-exosome group was significantly decreased (t=4.72, P<0.01). At 12 h after culture of the third passage of PMVECs, and the 8-OHdG positive fluorescence intensity of PMVECs in macrophage supernatant alone group was significantly increased; and compared with that in blank control group, the 8-OHdG positive fluorescence intensity of PMVECs in macrophage+ADSC-exosome supernatant group was between blank control group and macrophage supernatant alone group. At 12 h after culture of the third passage PMVECs, compared with that in blank control group, the permeability of PMVECs monolayer in macrophage supernatant alone group was significantly increased (t=6.34, P<0.01); compared with that in macrophage supernatant alone group, the permeability of PMVECs monolayer cells in macrophage supernatant+ADSC-exosome group was significantly decreased (t=2.93, P<0.05). Conclusions: Exosomes derived from ADSCs can ameliorate oxidative damage in mouse lung tissue, decrease the level of reactive oxygen species, 8-OHdG expression, and permeability of PMVECs induced by macrophage supernatant.
Animals ; Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Exosomes/metabolism* ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Injury/metabolism* ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Mice ; Sepsis/pathology*