Open AccessSOX 2 is required to maintain cancer stem cells in ovarian cancer
Author(s) -
Wen Yiping,
Hou Yaya,
Huang Zaiju,
Cai Jing,
Wang Zehua
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/cas.13186
Subject(s) - spheroid , ovarian cancer , gene knockdown , cancer research , cancer stem cell , cancer cell , cancer , stem cell , biology , cisplatin , cell culture , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , chemotherapy , genetics
Ovarian cancer cells can form spheroids under serum‐free suspension culture conditions. The spheroids, which are enriched in cancer stem cells, can result in tumor dissemination and relapse. To identify new targetable molecules in ovarian cancer spheroids, we investigated the differential expression of genes in spheroids compared with that under monolayer culture conditions by qPCR microarray. We identified that SOX 2 is overexpressed in spheroids. We then proved that SOX 2 expression was increased in successive spheroid generations. Besides, knockdown of SOX 2 expression in SKOV 3 or HO 8910 ovarian cancer spheroid cells decreased spheroid formation, cell proliferation, cell migration, resistance to Cisplatin treatment, tumorigenicity, and the expression of stemness‐related genes and epithelial to mesenchymal transition‐related genes, whereas overexpression of SOX 2 in SKOV 3 or HO 8910 ovarian cancer cells showed the opposite effects. In addition, we found that SOX 2 expression was closely associated with chemo‐resistance and poor prognosis in EOC patients. These results strongly suggest that SOX 2 is required to maintain cancer stem cells in ovarian cancer. Targeting SOX 2 in ovarian cancer may be therapeutically beneficial.