Since in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) the expression of c-Kit (CD117) has been identified as a CSC hallmark, we investigated the existence of a tumor growth-promoting loop between c-Kit and its ligand Stem Cell Factor (SCF).
Anti-Müllerian hormone receptor 2 (AMHR2) and C-Kit were two members of protein kinase which were reported increased in some cancers like ovarian carcinoma and breast cancer.
The novelty of the study also resides with the fact in the expression of different lineage-specific markers, like CD31, CD45, and CD117 along with CD44 in the TGFβ1-induced epithelial ovarian cancer spheroids.
The CD44⁺CD117⁺CSCs were obtained from the ascitic fluid of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer by using an immune magnetic-activated cell sorting system.
Human tumors from borderline, stage I, and stage III cases of ovarian cancer were found to express KL and c-kit protein in the epithelial cell component by ICC analysis.