Hypoxic Conditions Promote Gemcitabine Sensitivity in a Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Line

Development of an effective therapeutic strategy for refractory pancreatic cancer must consider whether chemosensitivity can be induced in chemoresistant cells. We established a pancreatic cancer stem cell-rich cell line using TIG-1 feeder cells and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-rich SNL76/7 conditioned medium. We generated a cell line, namely YNPC031312-B, following isolation of cells from the malignant ascites of a patient with gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer. A YNPC031312-B-Hypoxia cell line was established by maintaining YNPC031312-B cells under tumor-like hypoxic conditions (1% O2). Both cell lines exhibited a pancreatic cancer stem cell phenotype: YNPC031312-B cells were CD24(+)CD44(-)CD133(+)epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)(+)alkaline phosphatase(+)Octamer-binding transcription factor (OCT)3/4+and YNPC031312-B-Hypoxia cells were CD24(+)CD44(+)CD133(+)EpCAM(+). YNPC031312-B-Hypoxia cells were larger, had superior migratory ability, and higher gemcitabine sensitivity compared to YNPC031312-B cells. The use of LIF or other factors with similar bioactivity under hypoxic conditions may contribute to the phenotypic change to gemcitabine sensitivity. Our results may aid development of new therapeutic strategies targeting refractory pancreatic cancer.