Open AccessCD 133: holy of grail of neuro‐oncology or promiscuous red‐herring?
Author(s) -
Donovan L. K.,
Pilkington G. J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
cell proliferation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.647
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1365-2184
pISSN - 0960-7722
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2184.2012.00842.x
Subject(s) - holy grail , stem cell , cancer stem cell , biology , glioma , phenotype , cancer research , cell , immunology , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , gene , world wide web , computer science
The CD 133 glycoprotein is a controversial cancer stem cell marker in the field of neuro‐oncology, based largely on the now considerable experimental evidence for the existence of both CD 133+ve and CD 133−ve populations as tumour‐initiating cells. It is thought that decreasing oxygen tension enhances the complex regulation and phenotype of CD 133 in glioma. In light of these ideologies, establishing the precise functional role of CD 133 is becoming increasingly critical. In this article, we review the complex regulation of CD 133 and its extracellular epitope AC 133, and associated alterations, to tumour cell behaviour by hypoxia. Furthermore, its role in functional modulation of tumours, rather than determination of a specific stem cell type is therefore alluded to, while evidence for and against its ability as a cancer stem cell marker in primary brain tumours, is critically evaluated. Thus, the suggestion that CD 133 may be a central ‘holy grail’ in identifying core cells for propagation of malignant glial neoplasms seems increasingly less convincing. It remains to be seen, however, whether CD 133 is randomly expressed on such brain tumour cell populations or whether it is of major significance to brain biological behaviour.