ABCG2 is required to control the sonic hedgehog pathway in side population cells with stem-like properties.

The Sonic Hedgehog (Hh) pathway has been implicated in the maintenance of stem or progenitor cells in many adult tissues. Importantly, abnormal Hh pathway activation is also associated with initiation of neoplasia, but its role in tumor growth is still unclear. Here, we demonstrate that cyclopamine, a plant-derived alkaloid product used to inhibit the Hh signaling pathway, reduces the Side Population (SP) obtained by Hoechst 33342 (Ho342) dye measurements.