研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),，終末分化的非癌性人類干細胞在培養(yǎng)液中被重新程序化后顯現(xiàn)出與癌癥干細胞相關特征,，在被注射進小鼠體內后促進了腫瘤的生長。這種新實驗方法發(fā)表在8月在線出版的《自然—細胞生物學》期刊上,，將來可用于某類腫瘤的研究,。
實驗證據顯示，一種擁有特定分化特征的細胞部分促使了部分腫瘤癌的生長,，這種細胞被稱為癌癥干細胞,。在癌細胞生長過程中表達出的蛋白質顯示某種特征，能誘導初始非腫瘤癌分化的人類細胞在腫瘤小鼠體內形成腫瘤,。Paola Scaffidi和Tom Misteli發(fā)現(xiàn),，這種蛋白質的表達引導少量細胞子集形成具有自我更新特性的原始基態(tài)。當被注射到小鼠體內時,，這些細胞具有生產含更多分化細胞類型的能力,。這些特殊的細胞子集因此分享了癌癥干細胞的特征，癌癥干細胞能促使部分特定癌癥的腫瘤生成,。研究人員推測,，這種體外實驗體系可拓展應用到腫瘤的研究中。(生物谷 Bioon.com)
doi:10.1038/ncb2308
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In vitro generation of human cells with cancer stem cell properties
Paola Scaffidi; Tom Misteli
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been implicated in the maintenance and progression of several types of cancer. The origin and cellular properties of human CSCs are poorly characterized. Here we show that CSC-like cells can be generated in vitro by oncogenic reprogramming of human somatic cells during neoplastic transformation. We find that in vitro transformation confers stem-cell properties to primary differentiated fibroblasts, including the ability to self-renew and to differentiate along multiple lineages. Tumours induced by transformed fibroblasts are hierarchically organized, and the cells that act as CSCs to initiate and maintain tumour growth are marked by the stage-specific embryonic antigen SSEA-1. Heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells in the bulk of the tumour arise through differentiation of SSEA-1+ fibroblasts, and differentiation is associated with loss of tumorigenic potential. These findings establish an experimental system to characterize cellular and molecular properties of human CSCs and demonstrate that somatic cells have the potential to de-differentiate and acquire properties of CSCs.
