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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Patient Derived Cell Culture and Isolation of CD133+ Putative Cancer Stem Cells from Melanoma
Published on: March 13, 2013
Expression of cancer stem cell markers in metastatic melanoma to the brain
Agadha C Wickremesekera1, Helen D Brasch2, Valerie M Lee2
1Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, Wellington, New Zealand; Department of Neurosurgery, Wellington Regional Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand.
Abstract:
We have recently characterized cancer stem cell (CSC) subpopulations in different types of cancer. This study aimed to identify and characterize CSCs within metastatic melanoma (MM) to the brain. 3, 3-diaminobenzidine (DAB) immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of ten samples of MM to the brain demonstrated the expression of the embryonic stem cell (ESC) markers OCT4, NANOG, SALL4, SOX2 and pSTAT3. Protein expression of all five ESC markers except SALL4 were confirmed by Western blotting on five samples and transcriptional activation of all five markers was demonstrated using NanoString mRNA analysis on four samples. Immunofluorescence IHC staining suggested the presence of CSCs that stained for OCT4, SALL4, SOX2 or NANOG. Some of these cells also stained for Melan-A. Also, a pSTAT3+/CD34+ primitive subpopulation was detected on the endothelium of microvessels. These CSCs may be a novel therapeutic target for MM to the brain.
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