Characterization of Biomarkers of Tumorigenic and Chemoresistant Cancer Stem Cells in Human Gastric Carcinoma.

Gastric carcinomas are heterogeneous, and the current therapy remains essentially based on surgery with conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This study aimed to characterize biomarkers allowing the detection of cancer stem cells (CSC) in human gastric carcinoma of different histologic types. The primary tumors from 37 patients with intestinal- or diffuse-type noncardia gastric carcinoma were studied, and patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) models in immunodeficient mice were developed.

Helicobacter pylori infection recruits bone marrow-derived cells that participate in gastric preneoplasia in mice.

Background & Aims: Studies in animal models have shown that bone marrow-derived cells (BMDC) could be involved in the formation of carcinomas of the upper gastrointestinal tract, including gastric carcinoma. Most gastric carcinomas in humans have been associated with chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori; we investigated the bacteria's potential to induce premalignant lesions in mice and studied the kinetics of BMDC settlement in the gastric epithelium.

Methods: C57BL/6J female chimeric mice with BMDCs from male donors that express green fluorescent protein were infected with human-derived and mouse-adapted strains of H pylori and followed.