Biomedical Research

CD133 is a type of a biomarker of rectal cancer stem cells. Recent research suggested that colorectal cancer stem cells have the radiotherapy and chemotherapy resistance. This study intends to explore CD133 expression in rectal cancer and its correlation with Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) resistance. Cancer tissues were collected from 56 rectal cancer patients receiving surgical treatment and CRT. CD133 positive expression rate in cancer tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. Colorectal cancer cell line HT-29 was transfected with CD133 plasmid. CD133 protein level was determined by Western blot. Cell survival rate was tested by colony formation assay. Immunohistochemistry results showed that CD133 positive rate in rectal cancer patients received CRT achieved 71.4%. Its positive rate reached 89.2% in patients with ineffective CRT treatment, which was obviously higher than that in effective treatment group as 36.8% (P<0.05). CD133 was successfully transfected to HT-29 cells, resulting in CD133 overexpression compared with control (P<0.05). Cell survival detection demonstrated that it was markedly higher in CD133 overexpressed HT-29 cells receiving radiotherapy (P<0.05). CD133 positive expression rate elevated in rectal cancer patients after CRT treatment. CD133 expression may be related to cancer cell CRT resistance.

Author(s): Jinghua Huang, Yongan Fu, Zongda Cai
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