Association of neck metastasis with tongue cancer stem cells.

采用侧群法和球体培养法，从舌癌细胞系OSC19中分离出癌干细胞样细胞（CSC）和非CSC细胞。我们将CSC和非CSC移植到裸鼠舌上，并测定颈部转移率。CSC形成的舌颈部转移瘤多于非CSC。而非CSC可通过增加移植细胞数而形成颈部转移。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。通过免疫组化分析，CD44和ABCG 2被确定为CSC转移的候选标志物，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.