Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Reconstruct Human Retinoblastoma In Vitro
Published on: October 11, 2022
Stem cell markers: ABCG2 and MCM2 expression in retinoblastoma
A Mohan1, M Kandalam, H L Ramkumar
1Department of Ocular Pathology, Vision Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai - 600 006, Tamil Nadu, India.
Background/Aim:
The authors studied the expression of cancer stem cell surface marker, ABCG2, and neural stem cell marker, MCM2, in retinoblastoma and correlated clinicopathologically.
Methods:
Among 39 retinoblastomas, 18 tumours were not subjected to preoperative/postoperative chemotherapy, 15 tumours underwent postoperative chemotherapy, and six tumours had preoperative chemotherapy. There were 20 tumours with no invasion and 19 tumours with invasion of choroid/optic nerve. ABCG2 and MCM2 expression was studied by immunohistochemistry.
Results:
ABCG2 was positive in six of six and MCM2 was positive in five of six tumours that had recurred in the orbit or metastasised. ABCG2 was positive in 15/19 tumours with invasion. MCM2 was positive in 16/19 tumours with invasion. Invasive tumours showed higher expression of ABCG2 (p < 0.01) and MCM2 (p < 0.01) proteins. There was no correlation with differentiation and laterality of the tumours. Non-neoplastic retina was positive for ABCG2 and MCM2.
Conclusion:
ABCG2 and MCM2 were expressed more in invasive tumours. Further studies are needed to understand the significance of ABCG2 and MCM2 expression in retinoblastoma.
