Aldehyde dehydrogenase in combination with CD133 defines angiogenic ovarian cancer stem cells that portend poor patient survival.

Abstract

Markers that reliably identify cancer stem cells (CSC) in ovarian cancer could assist prognosis and improve strategies for therapy. CD133 is a reported marker of ovarian CSC. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity is a reported CSC marker in several solid tumors, but it has not been studied in ovarian CSC. Here we report that dual positivity of CD133 and ALDH defines a compelling marker set in ovarian CSC. All human ovarian tumors and cell lines displayed ALDH activity. ALDH(+) cells isolated from ovarian cancer cell lines were chemoresistant and preferentially grew tumors, compared with ALDH(-) cells, validating ALDH as a marker of ovarian CSC in cell lines. Notably, as few as 1,000 ALDH(+) cells isolated directly from CD133(-) human ovarian tumors were sufficient to generate tumors in immunocompromised mice, whereas 50,000 ALDH(-) cells were unable to initiate tumors. Using ALDH in combination with CD133 to analyze ovarian cancer cell lines, we observed even greater growth in the ALDH(+)CD133(+) cells compared with ALDH(+)CD133(-) cells, suggesting a further enrichment of ovarian CSC in ALDH(+)CD133(+) cells. Strikingly, as few as 11 ALDH(+)CD133(+) cells isolated directly from human tumors were sufficient to initiate tumors in mice. Like other CSC, ovarian CSC exhibited increased angiogenic capacity compared with bulk tumor cells. Finally, the presence of ALDH(+)CD133(+) cells in debulked primary tumor specimens correlated with reduced disease-free and overall survival in ovarian cancer patients. Taken together, our findings define ALDH and CD133 as a functionally significant set of markers to identify ovarian CSCs.

• Authors: Ines A Silva, Shoumei Bai, Karen McLean, Kun Yang, Kent Griffith, Dafydd Thomas, Christophe Ginestier, Carolyn Johnston, Angela Kueck, R Kevin Reynolds, Max S Wicha, Ronald J Buckanovich
• Journal: Cancer research (Cancer Res) Vol. 71 Issue 11 Pg. 3991-4001 (Jun 01 2011) ISSN: 1538-7445 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21498635 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• AC133 Antigen
• Antigens, CD
• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Glycoproteins
• PROM1 protein, human
• Peptides
• Prom1 protein, mouse
• Aldehyde Dehydrogenase

Topics

• AC133 Antigen
• Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (metabolism)
• Animals
• Antigens, CD (metabolism)
• Biomarkers, Tumor (metabolism)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Female
• Flow Cytometry
• Glycoproteins (metabolism)
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred NOD
• Mice, SCID
• Neoplastic Stem Cells (metabolism, pathology)
• Neovascularization, Pathologic (metabolism, pathology)
• Ovarian Neoplasms (blood supply, metabolism, pathology)
• Peptides (metabolism)
• Prognosis
• Transplantation, Heterologous