SATB2 induced malignant transformation and these transformed cells gained the characteristics of CSCs by expressing stem cell markers (CD44, CD133, LGR5 and DCLK1) and transcription factors (c-Myc, Nanog and Sox2).
Neuron-glial antigen 2 (NG2, also known as CSPG4) and hyaluronic acid receptor CD44 are chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans actively involved in brain development and its malignant transformation.
Some of these CD44 variable isoforms have been foreseen as key players in malignant transformation and their expression is highly restricted and highly specific, unlike the canonical CD44 standard isoform.
Our data further confirm the promising prognostic value of CD44 for TCC patients and demonstrate, for the first time, the correlation between RHAMM expression and malignant transformation of urothelial cells.
Malignant transformation of colonic mucosa is associated with alterations in CD44 expression, which result in up-regulation of high-molecular-weight CD44 isoforms and down-regulation of CD44s.
To investigate whether CD44 expression is associated with malignant transformation in multiple myeloma, RNA and protein expression of CD44 standard (CD44s) and CD44v4, v6, v9, v10 containing isoforms was compared on bone marrow plasma cells from normal individuals and myeloma patients at different stages of disease.
These data indicate that altered CD44 expression correlates strictly with mutations in the NF2 but not NF1 gene and suggest that CD44v6 might be a marker for the malignant transformation of Schwann cells.
The results suggest that expression of CD44 in these cutaneous epithelial tumors is not related to malignant transformation, but instead may be related to tumor progression and the ability to metastasize.