Affiliations: Apoptosis Research Group, School of Medical Science,
Griffith University, Southport, Qld, Australia | Molecular Therapy Group, Institute of Biotechnology,
Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Jiri Neuzil, Apoptosis Research
Group, School of Medical Science, Griffith Institute of Health and Medical
Research, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Parklands Avenue, Southport,
Qld, Australia. Tel.: +61 7 555 29109; Fax: +61 555 28444; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: It is increasingly accepted that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are rather
resistant to apoptosis to various inducers, including the immunological
apoptogen TRAIL. Here we show that cancer cells with high expression of CD133,
a marker that is often associated with CSCs, are resistant to TRAIL-induced
apoptosis, compared to their CD133-low counterparts. We show that this
resistance can be ascribed to the high expression of FLIP, an inhibitor of the
extrinsic apoptotic pathway, in CD133-high cells. Downregulation of FLIP by
siRNA in CD133-high cells sensitised them to TRAIL killing. Thus, CD133-high
cells may be resistant to TRAIL due to high expression of FLIP.
Keywords: TRAIL, CD133, FLIP, apoptosis
DOI: 10.3233/BIO-2009-1076
Journal: BioFactors, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 231-235, 2009
