Identification of new biomarkers of hepatic cancer stem cells through proteomic profiling
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Updated: May 21, 2025
Quantitative Mass Spectrometric Profiling of Cancer-cell Proteomes Derived From Liquid and Solid Tumors
Published on: February 27, 2015
Sung Hoon Choi1,2, Ha Young Lee3, Sung Ho Yun3
1Institute of Health & Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Backgrounds/Aims:
In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which exhibits high mortality and recurrence rates globally, the traits of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that significantly influence recurrence and metastasis are not well understood. CSCs are self-renewing cell types identified in most liquid and solid cancers, contributing to tumor initiation, growth, resistance, recurrence, and metastasis following chemo-radiotherapy or trans-arterial chemoembolization therapy.
Methods:
CSCs are classified based on the expression of cell surface markers such as CD133, which varies depending on the tumor type. Proteomic analysis of liver cancer cell lines with cancer stem cell potential and HCC cancer cell lines lacking stem cell propensity was conducted to compare and analyze specific expression patterns.
Results:
Proteomic profiling and enrichment analysis revealed higher expression of the calcium-binding protein S100 family in CD133+ Huh7 cells than in CD133- or wild-type cells. Furthermore, elevated expression of S100 family members was confirmed in an actual CD133+ liver cancer cell line via protein-protein network analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).
Conclusion:
The S100 family members are not only new markers of cancer stem cells but will also assist in identifying new treatment strategies for CSC metastasis and tumor advancement.
