2. Academic Validation
  3. Protein C receptor maintains cancer stem cell properties via activating lipid synthesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Protein C receptor maintains cancer stem cell properties via activating lipid synthesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

  • Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2022 Feb 16;7(1):46. doi: 10.1038/s41392-021-00866-z.
Panpan Zhang  # 1,  Qiuping He  # 2,  Yaqin Wang  # 1,  Guanqun Zhou 1,  Yupei Chen 1,  Linglong Tang 1,  Yuan Zhang 1,  Xiaohong Hong 1,  Yanping Mao 1,  Qingmei He 1,  Xiaojing Yang 1,  Na Liu 3,  Jun Ma 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
  • 2 Max-Planck Center for Tissue Stem cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510530, People's Republic of China.
  • 3 Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, 510060, China. liun1@sysucc.org.cn.
  • 4 Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, 510060, China. majun2@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 35169126 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00866-z
Abstract

Metastasis and recurrence account for 95% of deaths from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) are regarded as one of the main reasons for tumor cell resistance to clinical therapy, and Cancer metastasis or recurrence, while little is known about CSCs in NPC. The present study uncovers a subpopulation of cells labeled as CD45-EPCAM+PROCR+ in NPC biopsy samples that exhibit stem cell-like characteristics. A relatively low number of these cells initiate xenograft tumors in mice. Functional analysis reveals that protein C receptor (PROCR) not only serves as a stem cell marker in NPC, but also maintains tumor cells' stemness potential through regulating lipid metabolism and mitochondrial fission. Epistatic studies reveal that cAMP-protein kinase A stimulates Ca2+ release to manipulate lipid metabolism related genes' expression. Finally, in a cohort of 207 NPC samples, PROCR expression is correlated with tumor metastasis or recurrence, and predicts poor prognosis. These novel findings link PROCR labeled CSCs with lipid metabolism and mitochondrial plasticity, and provides new clinical target against metastatic or recurrent NPC.

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