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A Culture Method to Maintain Quiescent Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells
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High RAC3 expression levels are required for induction and maintaining of cancer cell stemness
Laura C Panelo1, Mileni Soares Machado1, María F Rubio1,2,3
1Laboratorio de Biología Moleculary Apoptosis, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas Alfredo Lanari, IDIM-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1427ARO Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Oncotarget
|February 22, 2018
Summary
RAC3 overexpression drives cancer stemness and tumor formation. Silencing RAC3 reduces these properties, highlighting its critical role in maintaining and inducing cancer stem cell characteristics.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Stem Cell Research
Background:
- RAC3 is a transcription coactivator overexpressed in various tumors.
- It is essential for maintaining pluripotency in normal stem cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between RAC3 overexpression and cancer stemness.
- To determine RAC3's role in inducing cancer stem properties in non-tumoral cells.
Main Methods:
- Overexpression and silencing of RAC3 in cell lines (HEK293, HCT116).
- In vitro and in vivo experiments, including tumorsphere and clonogenic assays.
- Analysis of public microarray data from human colorectal tumors.
Main Results:
- RAC3 overexpression correlated with CD133+ colon cancer cells and tumor stages.
- Increased RAC3 expression linked to mesenchymal and stem markers.
- RAC3 silencing decreased tumoral properties and stem cell markers (Nanog, OCT4).
- RAC3 overexpression induced tumoral transformation and tumorigenesis in non-tumoral cells.
Conclusions:
- RAC3 is crucial for maintaining cancer cell stemness.
- RAC3 actively induces cancer stem properties and tumoral transformation.
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