Studies on thyroid cancer stem cells: ALDH function analysis and plasticity

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K19535
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Endocrinology
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: SHIMAMURA Mika 長崎大学, 原爆後障害医療研究所, 助教 (90736406)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 癌幹細胞 / 甲状腺癌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Our previous study has revealed that aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) is a candidate marker for thyroid cancer stem cells, although its activity is flexible. In vivo sphere formation assay was used anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines and ALDH inhibitor, It almost completely suppressed ALDH activity without affecting spherogenicity.
In addition, we identified that among isozymes in human ALDH superfamily, ALDH1A3 was the main isozyme in thyroid cancer cell lines. Then We knockdown ALDH1A3 of high ALDH activity cells using shRNA, we check the effects of spherogenesis , it is no effect on spherogenicity. Furthermore,forced expression of ALDH1A3 in low ALDH activity cell, we got same result. It is no relationship between ALDH activity and spherogenicity. In conclusion, we here show no functionalrole for ALDH activity in thyroid thyroid cancer stem cells properties. That is, ALDH activity and spherogenicity are clearly dissociable.

Free Research Field

内分泌学