Study of the biological characteristics of p75 neurotrophin receptor positive tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells

OBJECTIVE: To study the biological characteristics of p75 neurotrophin receptor positive (p75(NTR+)) tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells which were separated by flow cytometry cell sorting. METHODS: To determine the biological characteristics of p75(NTR+) cells which were separated from Tca-8113 and Cal-27 tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells by flow cytometry cell sorting, including study the capacity of cloning, 3-(4,5)-demethylthiazo(z-y1)-3,5-diphenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assay, wound healing assay. p75(NTR+) cells with non-sorted cells were as control group. RESULTS: In Tca-8113 and Cal-27 tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, the percentage of p75(NTR+) cells were 3.1% and 1.9%. Compared with p75(NTR+) cells with non-sorted cells, p75(NTR+) cells possess higher capacity of cloning (Tca-8113, P=0.024; Cal-27, P=0.009). The percentage of p75(NTR+) cells of the progeny cells generated from monoclonal p75(NTR+) cells decreased to 14.5% (Tca-8113) and 5.8% (Cal-27) after cultured two weeks. p75(NTR+) cells possessed higher proliferation ability and higher metastasis ability than non-sorted cells. CONCLUSION: p75(NTR+) cells isolated from tongue squamous cell carcinoma have the characteristics of cancer stem cells.