CD44: can a cancer-initiating cell profit from an abundantly expressed molecule?
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 21390059.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/nrc3023.
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Abstract
Can an abundantly expressed molecule be a reliable marker for the cancer-initiating cells (CICs; also known as cancer stem cells), which constitute the minority of cells within the mass of a tumour? CD44 has been implicated as a CIC marker in several malignancies of haematopoietic and epithelial origin. Is this a fortuitous coincidence owing to the widespread expression of the molecule or is CD44 expression advantageous as it fulfils some of the special properties that are displayed by CICs, such as self-renewal, niche preparation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and resistance to apoptosis?
Medical subject headings
- Hyaluronan Receptors
- Neoplasms
- Neoplastic Stem Cells