Association of neck metastasis with tongue cancer stem cells.

采用侧群体法和球形培养法，对舌癌细胞系OSC19的癌干样细胞（CSC）和非CSC进行了分类。我们将CSC和非CSC移植到裸鼠舌部，并测定颈部转移的频率。CSC较非CSC更易形成舌部及颈部转移瘤。而非csc可随着移植细胞数量的增加而形成颈部转移。基于这些发现，我们得出结论，CSC和非CSC都具有癌症干细胞的表型。通过舌癌组织的免疫组织化学分析，CD44和ABCG2被确定为csc转移标志物的候选物，尽管其表达与预后不良无关。抑制CSC的表型可能控制舌癌的颈部转移。

Using side population method and spheroid cultivating method, we have sorted cancer stem like cell(CSC) and non-CSC from tongue cancer cell line, OSC19. We transplanted the CSC and non-CSC to tongue of nude mouse and determined frequency of neck metastasis. CSC formed more tumor of tongue and neck metastasis than non-CSC. However, non-CSC could form neck metastasis by increasing of cell the number of cells transplanted. Upon with these findings, we concluded that both CSC and non-CSC have phenotype of cancer stem cells. By analysis with immuno-histochemistry with tongue cancer tissues, CD44 and ABCG2 were determined as candidates of CSC-metastatic marker although the expression does not relate with worse prognosis. Suppression of phenotypes of CSC may control neck metastasis of tongue cancer.