The effectiveness of an anti-human IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy to target colon cancer stem-like cells

  • Authors:
    • Jin Ying
    • Masahiko Tsujii
    • Jumpei Kondo
    • Yoshito Hayashi
    • Motohiko Kato
    • Tomofumi Akasaka
    • Takuta Inoue
    • Eri Shiraishi
    • Tahahiro Inoue
    • Satoshi Hiyama
    • Yoshiki Tsujii
    • Akira Maekawa
    • Shoichiro Kawai
    • Tetsuji Fujinaga
    • Maekawa Araki
    • Shinichiro Shinzaki
    • Kenji Watabe
    • Tsutomu Nishida
    • Hideki Iijima
    • Tetsuo Takehara
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: January 26, 2015     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2015.2851
  • Pages: 1551-1559
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Abstract

Recent studies have demonstrated that cancer stem cells (CSCs) can initiate and sustain tumor growth and exhibit resistance to clinical cytotoxic therapies. Therefore, CSCs represent the main target of anticancer therapy. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) promotes cellular proliferation and drug resistance in colorectal cancer, and its serum levels correlate with patient survival. Therefore, IL-6 and its downstream signaling molecule the signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) represent potential molecular targets. In the present study, we investigated the effects of IL-6 and its downstream signaling components on stem cell biology, particularly the chemoresistance of CSCs, to explore potential molecular targets for cancer therapy. The colon cancer cell line WiDr was cultured in serum-free, non-adherent, and three-dimensional spheroid-forming conditions to enrich the stem cell-like population. Spheroid-forming cells slowly proliferated and expressed high levels of Oct-4, Klf4, Bmi-1, Lgr5, IL-6, and Notch 3 compared with adherent cells. Treatment with an anti-human IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody reduced spheroid formation, stem cell-related gene expression, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance. In addition, IL-6 treatment enhanced the levels of p-STAT3 (Tyr705), the expression of Oct-4, Klf4, Lgr5, and Notch 3, and chemoresistance to 5-FU. siRNA targeting Notch 3 suppressed spheroid formation, Oct-4 and Lgr5 expression, and 5-FU chemoresistance, whereas STAT3 inhibition enhanced Oct-4, Klf4, Lgr5, and Notch 3 expression and 5-FU chemoresistance along with reduced spheroid growth. Taken together, these results indicate that IL-6 functions in dichotomous pathways involving Notch 3 induction and STAT3 activation. The former pathway is involved in cancer stem-like cell biology and enhanced chemoresistance, and the latter pathway leads to accelerated proliferation and reduced chemoresistance. Thus, an anti-human IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody or Notch 3 inhibition may be superior to STAT3 inhibition for CSC-targeting therapies concomitant with anticancer drugs.
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April-2015
Volume 46 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1019-6439
Online ISSN:1791-2423

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Spandidos Publications style
Ying J, Tsujii M, Kondo J, Hayashi Y, Kato M, Akasaka T, Inoue T, Shiraishi E, Inoue T, Hiyama S, Hiyama S, et al: The effectiveness of an anti-human IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy to target colon cancer stem-like cells. Int J Oncol 46: 1551-1559, 2015
APA
Ying, J., Tsujii, M., Kondo, J., Hayashi, Y., Kato, M., Akasaka, T. ... Takehara, T. (2015). The effectiveness of an anti-human IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy to target colon cancer stem-like cells. International Journal of Oncology, 46, 1551-1559. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2015.2851
MLA
Ying, J., Tsujii, M., Kondo, J., Hayashi, Y., Kato, M., Akasaka, T., Inoue, T., Shiraishi, E., Inoue, T., Hiyama, S., Tsujii, Y., Maekawa, A., Kawai, S., Fujinaga, T., Araki, M., Shinzaki, S., Watabe, K., Nishida, T., Iijima, H., Takehara, T."The effectiveness of an anti-human IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy to target colon cancer stem-like cells". International Journal of Oncology 46.4 (2015): 1551-1559.
Chicago
Ying, J., Tsujii, M., Kondo, J., Hayashi, Y., Kato, M., Akasaka, T., Inoue, T., Shiraishi, E., Inoue, T., Hiyama, S., Tsujii, Y., Maekawa, A., Kawai, S., Fujinaga, T., Araki, M., Shinzaki, S., Watabe, K., Nishida, T., Iijima, H., Takehara, T."The effectiveness of an anti-human IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy to target colon cancer stem-like cells". International Journal of Oncology 46, no. 4 (2015): 1551-1559. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2015.2851