Targeting a Plk1-Controlled Polarity Checkpoint in Therapy-Resistant Glioblastoma-Propagating Cells Researchers characterized the behaviors of CD133+ tumor-propagating cells isolated from primary glioblastoma cell lines. They showed that CD133+ cells exhibited decreased sensitivity to the anti-proliferative effects of BRAF/MAPK inhibition compared to CD133– cells. [Cancer Res] Abstract p73 and IGF1R Regulate Emergence of Aggressive Cancer Stem-Like Features via miR-885-5p Control Investigators demonstrated that oncogenic DNp73, a dominant-negative variant of the tumor suppressor p73, confers cancer cells with enhanced stem-like properties. DNp73 overexpression in noninvasive melanoma and lung cancer cells increased anchorage-independent growth and elevated the expression of the pluripotency factors CD133, Nanog, and Oct4. [Cancer Res] Abstract EB-Virus Latent Membrane Protein 1 Potentiates the Stemness of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma via Preferential Activation of PI3K/AKT Pathway by a Positive Feedback Loop Investigators showed that latent membrane protein 1 induced cancer stem cell-like properties through promotion of the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition-like cellular markers and through alterations in differentiation markers. [Oncogene] Abstract Transmembrane Protein CD9 Is Glioblastoma Biomarker, Relevant for Maintenance of Glioblastoma Stem Cells Scientists performed transcriptomic analysis of glioblastoma tissues compared to normal brain tissues revealing sensible up-regulation of the CD9 gene. They validated the CD9 gene and protein expression showing selective up-regulation in glioblastoma stem cells isolated from primary biopsies and in primary organotypic glioblastoma spheroids as well as in U87-MG and U373 glioblastoma cell lines. [Oncotarget] Full Article TMPRSS4 Induces Cancer Stem Cell-Like Properties in Lung Cancer Cells and Correlates with ALDH Expression in NSCLC Patients The authors hypothesized that TMPRSS4 could provide cancer stem cell (CSC) properties. H358 and H441 cells with knocked-down TMPRSS4 levels were significantly less able to form primary and secondary tumorspheres than control cells. Moreover, they showed a lower proportion of ALDH+ cells and lower expression of some CSC markers than controls. [Cancer Lett] Abstract Absence of DAB2IP Promotes Cancer Stem Cell Like Signatures and Indicates Poor Survival Outcome in Colorectal Cancer Scientists demonstrated that DAB2IP suppresses NF-κB-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cell features in colorectal cancer cells. DAB2IP expression was inversely correlated with tumor differentiation and metastasis, and patients with lower DAB2IP expression had shorter overall survival time. [Sci Rep] Full Article Transcriptional Repression of Cancer Stem Cell Marker CD133 by Tumor Suppressor p53 Researchers showed that CD133 expression is negatively regulated by direct binding of the p53 tumor suppressor protein to a noncanonical p53-binding sequence in the CD133 promoter. CD133 depletion suppresses tumor cell proliferation, colony formation, and the expression of core stemness transcription factors including NANOG, octamer-binding transcription factor 4, SOX2, and c-MYC. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article Enhanced SLC34A2 in Breast Cancer Stem Cell-Like Cells Induces Chemotherapeutic Resistance to Doxorubicin via SLC34A2-Bmi1-ABCC5 Signaling Researchers investigated the relationship between SLC34A2 and chemoresistance in breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) and identified the underlying mechanisms by which SLC34A2 regulates chemoresistance in BCSCs. [Tumor Biol] Abstract A Novel Aspirin Prodrug Inhibits NFκB Activity and Breast Cancer Stem Cell Properties A library of aspirin prodrugs was synthesized and screened for inhibition of nuclear factor κB (NFκB) activity and cancer stem-like cell properties, an important PGE2-and NFκB-dependent phenotype of aggressive breast cancers. [BMC Cancer] Full Article Downregulation of Bmi-1 Is Associated with Suppressed Tumorigenesis and Induced Apoptosis in CD44+ Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cancer Stem-Like Cells Previously, investigators successfully silenced Bmi-1 (B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus insertion site 1) by short hairpin RNA in CD44+ nasopharyngeal carcinoma cancer stem-like cells and obtained stable Bmi-1 knockdown cell lines. In this study, they tested the cell proliferation by CCK-8 assay and apoptosis by flow cytometry. [Oncol Rep] Abstract |