Biological and molecular characterization of HCB-289: a Brazilian head and neck cancer stem-like cell line

Abstract

Abstract In the present study, we describe the establishment of a Brazilian primary laryngeal HNSCC cell line, HCB-289, and isolated a putative cancer stem-like cell subpopulation. Primary cell culture was established from a mechanically disrupted fresh tumor by adherence to cell culture flask. Tumor cells were enriched by fibroblast elimination via differential trypsinization. After establishment, a CD44HIGH /ALDHHIGH subpopulation was isolated and purified from the parental HCB-289 cells by cell sorting. The CD44HIGH /ALDHHIGH proliferation rates and lower sensitivity to cisplatin, paclitaxel, cetuximab, and allitinib than its CD44LOW /ALDHLOW counterpart. Moreover, nanoString subpopulation exhibited greater clonogenic potential, lower miRNome analysis of these two subpopulations showed a higher expression of has-miR-205-5p CD44HIGH /ALDHHIGH and a lower expression of has-miR146a-5p (ratio = 0.08) in the subpopulation (ratio = 35.37). This novel study model will help in the understanding of the biology and molecular features of larynx squamous cell carcinoma, and its chemotherapeutic resistance. Implications:Our study established and characterized a new cell lineage from the Brazilian population derived from a solid primary tumor of the laryngeal HNSCC primary cell line and can be a useful tool for studying laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma