Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology - contenuto non piu disponibile

The tumorigenic capacity in cancer, including TC, is confined in a small subpopulation of stem-like cells termed cancer stem cells (CSCs). To date, markers for thyroid CSCs remain to be confirmed. Thus, the identification of a specific antigen to distinguish thyroid CSCs from normal SCs represents a crucial step to develop targeted therapies. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of stemness markers and to isolate putative SCs from both normal thyroid and TC. Normal and neoplastic tissue samples were harvested from a cohort of 19 patients affected by TC, who underwent thyroidectomy. Fresh specimens were enzymatically digested. Cell suspensions were characterized by flow cytometry using anti-CD133, -CD45, -CD31, -CD44 and -CD105 antibodies. A portion of cells was suspended in SC medium (SCM) in order to obtain thyroid spheres. CD133+ and CD105+ cell rates were significantly higher in TC than in normal thyroid tissue (2.5% vs. 0.1% and 3.9% vs. 0.5% respectively, p