Subpopulation of colorectal adenocarcinoma cells co-expressing CD133 and cancer stem cells markers of other tumors.

Co-expression of colorectal adenocarcinoma cancer stem cells marker CD133 and a set of surface molecules described in published reports as possible cancer stem cell markers of other solid tumors was analyzed by flow cytometry. Minor cell populations expressing CD29, CD34, CD90, and CD117 against the background of CD133 expression were detected in cancer cells suspensions from the patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma. Our findings suggest that these markers can be used as additional markers of cancer stem cells of human colorectal adenocarcinoma.