Drug-Tolerant Cancer Cells, CD44, and Epigenetics
2011

Drug-Tolerant Cancer Cells Show Reduced Tumor-Initiating Capacity

publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Yan Hong, Chen Xin, Zhang Qiuping, Qin Jichao, Li Hangwen, Liu Can, Calhoun-Davis Tammy, Coletta Luis Della, Klostergaard Jim, Fokt Izabela, Skora Stanislaw, Priebe Waldemar, Bi Yongyi, Tang Dean G.

Primary Institution: The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Hypothesis

Do drug-tolerant cancer cells possess cancer stem cell properties?

Conclusion

Drug-tolerant cancer cells exhibit reduced tumor-initiating capacity and may not all be cancer stem cells.

Supporting Evidence

  • Drug-tolerant Du145 cells showed reduced tumorigenicity when implanted in mice.
  • CD44+ cells were significantly reduced in drug-tolerant Du145 cultures.
  • Chronic drug exposure altered the epigenetic landscape of cancer cells.

Takeaway

Some cancer cells that survive treatment with drugs are not as good at starting new tumors as we thought.

Methodology

The study involved chronic treatment of prostate cancer cells with various drugs and subsequent analysis of tumorigenicity in mouse models.

Potential Biases

Potential bias in the selection of drug-tolerant cell lines and their characterization.

Limitations

The study primarily focused on specific cancer cell lines and may not generalize to all cancer types.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0024397

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