Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are linked to metastasis. Moreover, a discrete group of miRNAs (metastamiRs) has been shown to promote metastasis. Accordingly, we propose that miRNAs that function as metastatic promoters may influence the CSC phenotype. To study this issue, we compared the expression of 353 miRNAs in CSCs enriched from breast cancer cell lines using qRT– PCR analysis. One of the most ...

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are linked to metastasis. Moreover, a discrete group of miRNAs (metastamiRs) has been shown to promote metastasis. Accordingly, we propose that miRNAs that function as metastatic promoters may influence the CSC phenotype. To study this issue, we compared the expression of 353 miRNAs in CSCs enriched from breast cancer cell lines using qRT-PCR analysis. One of the most a...

Utilization of small molecules in modulation of stem cell self-renewal is a promising approach to expand stem cells for regenerative therapy. Here, we identify Icaritin, a phytoestrogen molecule enhances self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Icaritin increases mESCs proliferation while maintains their self-renewal capacity in vitro and pluripotency in vivo. This coincides with upr...

We engineered an acellular biomimetic microenvironment to regulate stem cell fate and applied it to maintain mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell self-renewal. In the 3D environment formed using hydrogel scaffolds in which specific integrin ligation was provided, Stat3 activation by exogenous leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) no longer acted as a limiting factor for stem cell self-renewal. Instead, si...

Metastatic prostate cancer is presently incurable. The oncogenic protein PTOV1, first described in prostate cancer, was reported as overexpressed and significantly correlated with poor survival in numerous tumors. Here, we investigated the role of PTOV1 in prostate cancer survival to docetaxel and self-renewal ability. Transduction of PTOV1 in docetaxel-sensitive Du145 and PC3 cells significant...

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is among the most common growth factors used in cultures to maintain self-renewal and proliferative capabilities of a variety of stem cells, including neural stem cells (NSCs). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the control by FGF have remained elusive. Studies on mutant mice of FGF receptor substrate 2α (FRS2α), a central mediator for FGF signaling, com...

The modes of proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) are coordinately controlled during development, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we show that the protooncoprotein Myc and the tumor suppressor p19(ARF) regulate both NSC self-renewal and their neuronal and glial fate in a developmental stage-dependent manner. Early-stage NSCs have low...

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer great promise in regenerative medicine and disease modeling due to their unlimited self-renewal and broad differentiation capacity. There is evidence that the growth properties and critical signaling pathways differ between murine and human ESCs; therefore, it is essential to perform functional studies to test the puta...

Activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) by leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) maintains mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) self-renewal. Our previous study showed that trans-acting transcription factor 5 (Sp5), an LIF/STAT3 downstream target, supports mESC self-renewal. However, the mechanism by which Sp5 exerts these effects remains elusive. Here, we found that Nan...

We performed a genome-wide siRNA screen in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells to identify genes essential for self-renewal, and found 148 genes whose down-regulation caused differentiation. Many of the identified genes function in gene regulation and/or development, and are highly expressed in ES cells and embryonic tissues. We further identified target genes of two transcription regulators Cnot3 ...