Identification and Characterization of Side Population Cells in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma SPC-A1 Cells

Objective There has been an increasing interest in recent years in the role of stem cells. With an extensive understanding of their biology, a major role for stem cells in the malignant process has been proposed and the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) has been confirmed in hematopoietic malignancies and solid organ malignancies including brain cancer, breast, prostate, colon, and pancreatic cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in most large cities of China. It is possible that lung cancer contains cancer stem cells responsible for its malignancy. The aim of this study is to identify, characterize and enrich the CSC population that drives and maintains lung adenocarcinoma growth and metastasis.