A subpopulation of CD26 + cancer stem cells with metastatic capacity in human colorectal cancer

Recent evidence suggests that a subpopulation of cancer cells, cancer stem cells (CSCs), is responsible for tumor growth in colorectal cancer. However, the role of CSCs in colorectal cancer metastasis is unclear. Here, we identified a subpopulation of CD26 + cells uniformly present in both the primary and metastatic tumors in colorectal cancer patients with liver metastasis. Furthermore, in patients without distant metastasis at the time of presentation, the presence of CD26 + cells in their primary tumors predicted distant metastasis on follow-up. Isolated CD26 + cells, but not CD26 - cells, led to development of distant metastasis when injected into the mouse cecal wall. CD26 + cells were also associated with enhanced invasiveness and chemoresistance. Our findings have uncovered a critical role of CSCs in metastatic progression of cancer. Furthermore, the ability to predict metastasis based on analysis of CSC subsets in the primary tumor may have important clinical implication as a selection criterion for adjuvant therapy. © 2010 Elsevier Inc.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Strict tropism for CD71+/ CD234+ human reticulocytes limits Plasmodium cynomolgi's zoonotic potential

Two malaria parasites of Southeast Asian macaques, Plasmodium knowlesi and P. cynomolgi, can infect humans experimentally. In Malaysia, where both species are common, zoonotic knowlesi malaria has recently become dominant, and cases are recorded throughout the region. By contrast, to date only a single case of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi has been found in humans. In this study we show that whereas P. cynomolgi merozoites invade monkey red blood cells (RBCs) indiscriminately in vitro, for humans they are restricted to reticulocytes expressing both transferrin receptor 1 (Trf1 or CD71) and the Duffy antigen/chemokine receptor (DARC or CD234). This likely contributes to the paucity of detectable zoonotic cynomolgi malaria. We further describe post-invasion morphological and rheological alterations in P. cynomolgi-infected human reticulocytes that are strikingly similar to those observed for P. vivax These observations stress the value of P. cynomolgi as a model in the development of blood stage vaccines against vivax malaria

Strict tropism for CD71+/ CD234+ human reticulocytes limits Plasmodium cynomolgi's zoonotic potential

Two malaria parasites of Southeast Asian macaques, Plasmodium knowlesi and P. cynomolgi, can infect humans experimentally. In Malaysia, where both species are common, zoonotic knowlesi malaria has recently become dominant, and cases are recorded throughout the region. By contrast, to date only a single case of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi has been found in humans. In this study we show that whereas P. cynomolgi merozoites invade monkey red blood cells (RBCs) indiscriminately in vitro, for humans they are restricted to reticulocytes expressing both transferrin receptor 1 (Trf1 or CD71) and the Duffy antigen/chemokine receptor (DARC or CD234). This likely contributes to the paucity of detectable zoonotic cynomolgi malaria. We further describe post-invasion morphological and rheological alterations in P. cynomolgi-infected human reticulocytes that are strikingly similar to those observed for P. vivax These observations stress the value of P. cynomolgi as a model in the development of blood stage vaccines against vivax malaria

Hepatic spheroids used as an in vitro model to study malaria relapse

Hypnozoites are the liver stage non-dividing form of the malaria parasite that are responsible for relapse and acts as a natural reservoir for human malaria Plasmodium vivax and P. ovale as well as a phylogenetically related simian malaria P. cynomolgi. Our understanding of hypnozoite biology remains limited due to the technical challenge of requiring the use of primary hepatocytes and the lack of robust and predictive in vitro models. In this study, we developed a malaria liver stage model using 3D spheroid-cultured primary hepatocytes. The infection of primary hepatocytes in suspension led to increased infectivity of both P. cynomolgi and P. vivax infections. We demonstrated that this hepatic spheroid model was capable of maintaining long term viability, hepatocyte specific functions and cell polarity which enhanced permissiveness and thus, permitting for the complete development of both P. cynomolgi and P. vivax liver stage parasites in the infected spheroids. The model described here was able to capture the full liver stage cycle starting with sporozoites and ending in the release of hepatic merozoites capable of invading simian erythrocytes in vitro. Finally, we showed that this system can be used for compound screening to discriminate between causal prophylactic and cidal antimalarials activity in vitro for relapsing malaria

Robust continuous in vitro culture of the Plasmodium cynomolgi erythrocytic stages

The ability to culture pathogenic organisms substantially enhances the quest for fundamental knowledge and the development of vaccines and drugs. Thus, the elaboration of a protocol for the in vitro cultivation of the erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum revolutionized research on this important parasite. However, for P. vivax, the most widely distributed and difficult to treat malaria parasite, a strict preference for reticulocytes thwarts efforts to maintain it in vitro. Cultivation of P. cynomolgi, a macaque-infecting species phylogenetically close to P. vivax, was briefly reported in the early 1980s, but not pursued further. Here, we define the conditions under which P. cynomolgi can be adapted to long term in vitro culture to yield parasites that share many of the morphological and phenotypic features of P. vivax. We further validate the potential of this culture system for high-throughput screening to prime and accelerate anti-P. vivax drug discovery efforts