Journal Home
Search for

Articles in Press

Return to articles in press list

CD133 expression is not selective for tumor-initiating or radioresistant cell populations in the CRC cell line HCT-116

Claudia Dittfelda1, Antje Dietricha1, Susann Peickerta, Sandra Heringb, Michael Baumanncd, Marian Gradee, Thomas Riedf, Leoni A. Kunz-SchughartaCorresponding Author Informationemail address

published online 18 November 2009.
Corrected Proof

Refers to article:
CD133 expression is not selective for tumor-initiating or radioresistant cell populations in the CRC cell lines HCT-116 , 25 August 2009
Claudia Dittfeld, Antje Dietrich, Susann Peickert, Sandra Hering, Michael Baumann, Marian Grade, Thomas Ried, Leoni A. Kunz-Schughart
Radiotherapy & Oncology
September 2009 (Vol. 92, Issue 3, Pages 353-361)
Abstract | Full Text | Full-Text PDF (792 KB)

Abstract 

Background and purpose

CD133 is controversially discussed as putative (surrogate) marker for cancer stem/tumor-initiating cell populations (CSC/TIC) in epithelial tumors including colorectal carcinomas (CRCs). We studied CD133 expression in established CRC cell lines and examined in vitro behavior, radioresponse and in vivo tumor formation of CD133+/− subpopulations of one cell line of interest.

Materials and methods

Ten CRC cell lines were analyzed for CD133 expression using flow cytometry and Western blotting. CD133+ and CD133 HCT-116 subpopulations were separated by FACS and studied in 2-D and 3-D culture and colony formation assays after irradiation. Subcutaneous xenograft formation was monitored in NMRI (nu/nu) mice.

Results and conclusions

CRC cell lines could be classified into three groups: (i) CD133, (ii) CD133+ and (iii) those with two distinct CD133+ and CD133 subpopulations. Isolated CD133+/− HCT-116 subpopulations were studied relative to the original fraction. No difference was found in 2-D growth, spheroid formation or radioresponse in vitro. Also, tumor formation and growth rate did not differ for the sorted subpopulations. However, a subset of xenografts originated from CD133 HCT-116 showed a striking enrichment in the CD133+ fraction. Our data show that CD133 expression is not selective for sphere forming, tumor-initiating or radioresistant subpopulations in the HCT-116 CRC cell line. This implies that CD133 cannot be regarded as a CSC/TIC marker in all CRC cell lines and that functional measurements of tumor formation have to generally accompany CSC/TIC-directed mechanistic or therapeutic studies.

a Tumor Pathophysiology, OncoRay – Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Dresden University of Technology, Germany

b Institute of Legal Medicine, Dresden University of Technology, Germany

c OncoRay – Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Dresden University of Technology, Germany

d Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Dresden, Germany

e Department of General and Visceral Surgery, University Medicine Goettingen, Germany

f National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Address: OncoRay – Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstraße 74, PF 86, 01307 Dresden, Germany.

 The publisher regrets that an incorrect version of the above paper was published in Radiotherapy and Oncology, volume 92, issue 3, pages 353–61. The incorrect version contained grammatical errors, e.g. in title, abstract and the discussion as well as an incomplete Fig. 2.

1 Contributed equally.

PII: S0167-8140(09)00590-8

doi:10.1016/j.radonc.2009.10.010