Review
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World J Gastroenterol. May 7, 2013; 19(17): 2603-2611
Published online May 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i17.2603
CD133: A cancer stem cells marker, is used in colorectal cancers
Fei Ren, Wei-Qi Sheng, Xiang Du
Fei Ren, Wei-Qi Sheng, Xiang Du, Department of Pathology, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Author contributions: Ren F, Sheng WQ and Du X all contributed to this review; Ren F wrote and revised the manuscript; Sheng WQ initiated the plan; Du X provided guidance throughout the preparation of this manuscript and corrected the final version.
Supported by Clinical Key Discipline Fund by Ministry of Health (2010-2012), Chinese National Clinical Key Discipline (2011-2012) and the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, No. 10DJ1400500
Correspondence to: Xiang Du, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, 270 Dong An Road, Shanghai 200032, China. dx2008cn@yahoo.com.cn
Telephone: +86-21-64175590-8911 Fax: +86-21-64170067
Received: December 24, 2012
Revised: February 4, 2013
Accepted: February 7, 2013
Published online: May 7, 2013
Processing time: 133 Days and 15.1 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: CD133 is not a reliable marker to identify the entire population of cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, the abundance of CD133 may be a good indicator of CSC identity and consistent with the biological characteristics of CSCs; The expression of CD133 is correlated to the poor survival; CD133(+) cells exhibit more chemoresistant behavior than CD133(-) cells; Whether CD133-targeting therapies can be a specific or efficient treatment for colorectal cancer has not been confirmed.