Pancreatic cancer stem-like cells display aggressive behavior mediated via activation of FoxQ1

Abstract

Background: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) correlate to poorer clinical outcomes of many tumors. Results:Weidentified a highly aggressive (CD44 +/CD133+/EpCAM+) CSC-like fraction from pancreatic cancer (PC) cell lines with differential expression of many genes, including FoxQ1. Conclusion: FoxQ1 knockdown inhibited CSC aggressiveness. Significance: Targeting differentially expressed CSC-related genes could provide a novel approach for better treatment outcomes of aggressive PC tumors. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.