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Background: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a critical role in tumor development and progression and are involved in cancer metastasis. The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in CSCs and cancer metastasis remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between ROS level of CSCs and cancer metastasis and to explore the possible underlying molecular mechanisms.
Methods: Four different cell lines were used to isolate tumor spheres and to analyze intrinsic properties of tumor sphere cells including proliferation, self-renewal potential, differentiation, drug-resistance and cancer metastasis in vitro and in vivo. ROS assays were used to detect the intracellular ROS level of tumor spheres cells. Gene expression analysis and western blot were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms of ROS in regulating cancer metastasis.
Results: Tumor spheres possessed the characteristic features of CSCs, and ROS-high tumor spheres (RH-TS) displayed elevated mitochondrial ROS level exclusively drove metastasis formation. The gene expression analysis showed elevated fatty acid β-oxidation, downregulation of epithelial marker upregulation of mesenchymal markers, and the activation of MAP kinase cascades. Furthermore, 14 up-regulated genes in RH-TS cells were associated with reduced overall survival of different cancer patients.
Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that CSCs characterized by elevated mitochondrial ROS level potentiate cancer metastasis. Mechanistically, elevated mitochondrial ROS via fatty acid β-oxidation, activates the MAPK cascades, resulting in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of RH-TS cells, thereby potentiating caner invasion and metastasis. Therefore, targeting mitochondrial ROS might provide a promising approach to prevent and alleviate cancer metastasis induced by RH-TS cells.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13287-019-1265-2 | DOI Listing |
Sci Prog
September 2025
Shenzhen University Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen Nanshan People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Colorectal cancer ranks among the most prevalent and lethal malignant tumors globally. Historically, the incidence of colorectal cancer in China has been lower than that in developed European and American countries; however, recent trends indicate a rising incidence due to changes in dietary patterns and lifestyle. Lipids serve critical roles in human physiology, such as energy provision, cell membrane formation, signaling molecule function, and hormone synthesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDig Dis Sci
September 2025
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Background And Aims: Liver metastasis significantly contributes to poor survival in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), posing therapeutic challenges due to limited understanding of its mechanisms. We aimed to identify a potential target critical for CRC liver metastasis.
Methods: We analyzed the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases and identified EphrinA3 (EFNA3) as a potential clinically relevant target.
Biomater Sci
September 2025
Key Laboratory of Biomaterials and Nanotechnology for Cancer Immunotherapy, The Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomaterials, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin, 300192, China.
Various cancer therapeutic strategies have been designed for targeting tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), but TAM reprogramming-based monotherapy is often clinically hindered, likely due to the lack of a coordinated platform to initiate T cell-mediated immunity. Herein, we fabricated reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive human serum albumin (HSA)-based nanoparticles (PEG/IL12-IA NPs) consisting of indocyanine green (ICG), arginine (Arg), and interleukin 12 (IL12). Upon laser irradiation, the nanoparticles were found to be able to dissociate, thus facilitating the release of IL12.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Pharm Pharmacol
September 2025
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University Third Hospital. No. 139 Ziqiang Road, Qiaoxi District, Shijiazhuang 050051, China.
Objectives: To investigate the antitumor effects of aucubin (AC) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and uncover its plausible mechanism against lung cancer stem-like cells (LCSCs).
Methods: In vitro experiments included MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, a reagent commonly used for cell viability assay) and colony formation assays to assess anti-proliferative effects on A549 and NCI-H1975 lung cancer cell lines, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays to evaluate inhibition of cell migration and invasion, tumorsphere-formation experiments to detect changes in NSCLC cell stemness, as well as Western blot and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses to measure the expression of LCSC markers (CD44, CD133, Oct4, and Nanog). In vivo experiments were conducted to observe the impact of AC on NSCLC metastasis and mouse survival rates.