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研究发现，晚期肠癌和转移性肠癌病人的癌细胞中，均存有表达CD26+标志的癌干细胞，这种癌干细胞群具有转移能力，存在于所有转移性肿瘤中。这一发现有助于预测癌症转移的机会，以及研发更具针对性的抗癌药物。
香港大学近日公布，该校在一项研究中发现导致大肠癌转移的干细胞，它的发现有助于预测癌症转移的机会，以及研发更具针对性的抗癌药物。
研究发现，晚期肠癌和转移性肠癌病人的癌细胞中，均存有表达CD26+标志的癌干细胞，这种癌干细胞群具有转移能力，存在于所有转移性肿瘤中。
港大医学院内科学系助理教授彭咏枝表示，癌干细胞是诱发和维持癌肿瘤不断生长的源头，它们比肿瘤内其他较成熟癌细胞对传统化疗有更高的抗药性，因此即使肿瘤在化疗后缩小也不代表癌细胞全部死亡，而超过一半的患者进行了大肠肿瘤切除手术后，仍会出现肿瘤复发或转移。
彭咏枝表示，若早期大肠癌患者肿瘤内存有CD26+癌干细胞，即代表发生癌症复发和转移的机会较高，这不仅有助于为患者设计出更合适的疗程，还有助于研究人员开发针对CD26+癌干细胞的抗癌药物。
上述研究结果已在国际学术期刊《细胞-干细胞》上发表。
更多参考阅读：
Cell Stem Cell, Volume 6, Issue 6, 603-615, 4 June 2010 | 10.1016/j.stem.2010.04.001
A Subpopulation of CD26+ Cancer Stem Cells with Metastatic Capacity in Human Colorectal Cancer
Roberta Pang, Wai Lun Law, Andrew C.Y. Chu, Jensen T. Poon, Colin S.C. Lam, Ariel K.M. Chow, Lui Ng, Leonard W.H. Cheung, Xiao R. Lan, Hui Y. Lan, Victoria P.Y. Tan, Thomas C. Yau, Ronnie T. Poon, Benjamin C.Y. WongSee
Highlights
Metastatic colorectal cancers contain a subset of CD26+ cancer stem cells
Nonmetastatic tumors with CD26+ CSCs frequently proceed to metastasis
Isolated CD26+ CSCs can initiate distant metastasis in a mouse model
CD26+ CSCs show enhanced invasiveness and migratory potential
Summary
Recent evidence suggests that a subpopulation of cancer cells, cancer stem cells (CSCs), is responsible for tumor growth in colorectal cancer. However, the role of CSCs in colorectal cancer metastasis is unclear. Here, we identified a subpopulation of CD26+ cells uniformly present in both the primary and metastatic tumors in colorectal cancer patients with liver metastasis. Furthermore, in patients without distant metastasis at the time of presentation, the presence of CD26+ cells in their primary tumors predicted distant metastasis on follow-up. Isolated CD26+ cells, but not CD26 cells, led to development of distant metastasis when injected into the mouse cecal wall. CD26+ cells were also associated with enhanced invasiveness and chemoresistance. Our findings have uncovered a critical role of CSCs in metastatic progression of cancer. Furthermore, the ability to predict metastasis based on analysis of CSC subsets in the primary tumor may have important clinical implication as a selection criterion for adjuvant therapy.(作者：黄辛)
