CD133-1 and CD133-2 may be useful, therefore,

to select and enrich population of CD133(+) ovarian tumor cells that are characterized by a higher clonogenic efficiency and proliferative potential [77]. Moreover, in 2009 Baba et al. found that CD133 expression is repressed concomitant with the acquisition of DNA methylation in CD133− progeny of CD133+ cells supports a role for CD133 in the CD133+ RG-7388 clinical trial cells, which is not required in the CD133− cells after asymmetric division [78]. According to these discoveries, Curley et al. found that tumor-derived CD133-1 cells have an increased tumorigenic capacity and are capable of recapitulating the original heterogeneous tumor [79]. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), a reported CSC marker in several solid tumors, has been studied in association to CD133 in order to identify a set of markers

to identify ovarian CSCs. Siva et al. discovered that the presence of ALDH(+)CD133(+) cells in debulked primary tumor specimens correlated with reduced disease-free and overall survival in ovarian cancer patients [31]. CD44 is a surface molecule which mediates cell adhesion and migration by binding extracellular matrix components such as hyaluronic acid, osteopontin, or activating BYL719 receptor tyrosine kinases, which are related with tumor progression and metastasis [55, 80]. Bapat et al. found that the growth factor receptors c-met and epidermal growth factor receptor were up-regulated in ovarian CSCs as well as DNA ligase CD44. They also expressed E-cadherin. Correspondingly, Snail, a known mediator of EMT through transcriptional repression of E-cadherin, was expressed in some CSC clones and to a lesser extent in others [22]. It has been demonstrated that CD44 + CD117+ cells are often present in EOC. CD117, beyond his role in cancer initiating cells from primary human tumors, has been used as stem cell marker

for identification and characterization of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, of cardiac CD117-positive stem cells in adult human heart and other mesenchymal stem cells. Chen et al. demonstrated in vitro that human epithelial ovarian cancer CD44 + CD117+ cells possessed the properties of let the tumor be chemoresistant to conventional therapies, such as 5FU, docetaxel, cisplatin, and carboplatin [81]. CD44 has also been demonstrated to be associated with other CSC markers. In fact,Wei at al., investigating about Müllerian Inhibiting Substance with the aim of selleck chemical inhibit stem/progenitors in EOC, identified eight marker panel on three human ovarian cancer cell lines and found that the combination of Epcam+, CD24+, and CD44+ formed more colonies than other marker combinations. It was necessary to use this 3+ panel in combination, as each marker alone was not sufficiently selective [82]. Goodell et al.