The Functional Stem Cell Marker Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Enhances Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Isolation And Correlates With Clinical Prognosis

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Stem Cell Research
Article Date: 17 Apr 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Researchers have identified aldehyde dehydrogenase as a new marker for the presence of pancreatic cancer stem cells, a finding with potential for the development of targeted therapy.

Pancreatic cancer is highly aggressive and largely resistant to current therapies. Researchers believe that pancreatic cancer stem cells may be responsible for resistance to chemotherapy.

"Cancer stem cells have emerged as a potential therapeutic target, but the development of effective therapies requires the identification and isolation of highly purified cell populations," said Zeshaan Rasheed, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher at Johns Hopkins University.

Analyzing human pancreatic tumor samples, Rasheed and colleagues found that each contained a small population of cells that expressed aldehyde dehydrogenase, and that these cells showed a greater capacity for growth compared with the cells that did not express aldehyde dehydrogenase. Capacity for growth is among the definitive characteristics of stem cells.

Previous research identified CD24+ and CD44+ cells as pancreatic cancer stem cells, Rasheed says. Rasheed and colleagues found that cells that were CD24+, CD44+, and expressed aldehyde dehydrogenase had a significantly greater potential for reproduction, another definitive characteristic of stem cells, and may be responsible for pancreatic cancer metastasis.

The authors also found that the presence of cells positive for aldehyde dehydrogenase was significantly associated with poorer overall survival. Specifically, patients with these cells lived an average of 14 months after diagnosis compared with 18 months for those without the cells.

"These results suggest a direct link between cancer stem cells and patient outcomes," said senior author William Matsui, M.D., of Johns Hopkins University.

The functional stem cell marker aldehyde dehydrogenase enhances pancreatic cancer stem cell isolation and correlates with clinical prognosis
Abstract 5000
Rasheed ZA,et al

This was presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 27,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is the only journal worldwide dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

American Association for Cancer Research