Brain cancer stem cells forming spheres on DN gel and SOX2 marker

Japanese scientists have developed a hydrogel—named DN for double network—that reverts differentiated cancer cells to their cancer stem cell state.  “In the study, the DN gel rapidly reprogrammed differentiated cancer cells into cancer stem cells in just 24 hours in six different human cancer cell lines — brain cancer, uterine cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, bladder cancer, and sarcoma. After cancer cells were placed on the DN gel, they started to form spherical structures and produce specific molecules known to be markers of cancer stem cells such as SOX2 and Oct3/4, aka Yamanaka factors.”  MORE WITH VIDEO

Image Credit:  Hokkaido University