The examination of liver cancer specimens demonstrated that HBx and TGF-β1 expression was positively correlated with epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and cluster of differentiation 90 (CD90).
Because EpCAM are overexpressed in multiple carcinomas, including liver cancer, these aptamer-conjugated AIE MSHNs are therefore good candidates for targeted cellular imaging applications.
The activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway significantly increased the expression of liver cancer stem cells related (LCSCs)-related molecular markers CD90 and EpCAM, which led to the transformation of HPCs into LCSCs.
When co-cultured immature dendritic cells with EpCAM+ HepG2 cells, 4-AAQB enhanced the expression of MHC class I and II on the surface of liver cancer stem cells and dendritic cells, increased the expression of costimulatory molecules CD80 of dendritic cells and cytokines related to immune activation.
Exploration of the inter-relationship among liver cancer stem cell markers showed two distinct major cell populations according to EPCAM expression, and the EPCAM<sup>+</sup> cells had upregulated expression of multiple oncogenes.
Gene enrichment analysis indicated that the terms "liver cancer with EPCAM up", "tumor invasiveness up", "methyltransferase complex", and "translational initiation" were enriched in CIMP-H subgroup.
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is expressed in hepatic progenitor cells and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and is considered a marker of liver cancer stem cells.
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is over-expressed in most solid tumors and it has been identified to be a cancer stem cell surface marker in liver cancer.
Treatment with either suberohydroxamic acid or AG-014699 reduced the number of EpCAM(+) liver cancer stem cells in vitro, and suberohydroxamic acid and AG-014699 in combination successfully inhibited tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model.
The EpCAM(+) cells were sorted out from unfractionated fetal liver cells and liver cancer cells using the FACS analysis and miRNA expression profiles of two groups were screened through microarray platform.