Autophagy Is Indispensable for the Self-Renewal and Quiescence of Ovarian Cancer Spheroid Cells with Stem Cell-Like Properties.

ABSTRACT: Epithelial ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all gynecologic cancers. Cancer stem cells are considered to be the initiating cells of tumors. It is known that spheroid culture promotes ovarian cancer cells to acquire stem cell characteristics and to become stem cell-like. But the mechanisms remain largely unclear. Our data show that autophagy is sustainably activated in ovarian cancer spheroid cells. Inhibition of autophagy by knockdown of ATG5 abolishes the self-renewal ability of ovarian cancer spheroid cells. Knockdown of ATG5 prevents ovarian cancer spheroid cells to enter quiescent state. Autophagy is critical for quiescent ovarian cancer spheroid cells to reenter the cell cycle because rapamycin can promote quiescent ovarian cancer spheroid cells to form colonies on sof

SUBMITTER: Wang Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6167563 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature