Anchorage-dependent multicellular aggregate formation induces CD44 high cancer stem cell-like phenotypes in adult T cell Leukemia/Lymphoma cells

Abstract

Adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is a highly invasive and intractable T cell malignancy caused by human T cell leukemia virus-1 infection. Leukemia/lymphoma cells that have invaded the tissues exhibit a propensity for strong resistance to chemotherapy, presenting a major obstacle to the treatment of ATL patients. Therefore, understanding how tissue-infiltrating leukemia/lymphoma cells acquire intractable features is important for developing effective treatments for ATL patients. We have recently found that, when co-cultured with epithelial-like feeder cells, ATL cells form anchorage-dependent multicellular aggregates and that a fraction of aggregate-forming ATL cells acquire quiescent CD44 high cancer stem cell-like phenotypes. This observation suggests that the intractability of tissue infiltrating ATL cells may be partly accounted for by the acquisition of cancer stem cell-like properties.