CD133 positive cells isolated from A549 cell line exhibited high liver metastatic potential.

Lung cancer remains a major cause of cancer-related lethality because of high incidence and recurrence in spite of significant advances in staging and therapy. In present study, we identified a subpopulation of cells isolated from the A549 cell line with marker CD133. In vivo results showed that A549 CD133+ cells displayed high liver metastatic potential. Severe liver cell damage with tumor cell invasion revealed by pathological examination and these changes were consistent with the results of serological tests where the plasma GPT and GOT level are significantly higher than that of the control group. Compared with A549 cells, A549 CD133+ cells expressed high levels of VEGF and exhibited high migration and invasion capability. In conclusion, we first reported that A549 CD133+ cells exhibited characteristic of high liver metastatic potential which makes it be a suitable model for further study of liver metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma and provide a potential platform for anti-metastatic drug discovery or evaluation.