BMC Cancer

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Open Access Highly Access Research article

CD24 cross-linking induces apoptosis in, and inhibits migration of, MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Jong B Kim1, Eunyoung Ko2, Wonshik Han2, Jeong E Lee2, Kyung-Min Lee1, Incheol Shin3, Sangmin Kim4, Jong W Lee2, Jihyoung Cho2, Ji-Yeon Bae1, Hyeon-Gun Jee1 and Dong-Young Noh1,2*

  • * Corresponding author: Dong-Young Noh dynoh@snu.ac.kr

  • † Equal contributors

Author Affiliations

1 Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea

2 Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea

3 Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Sungdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea

4 Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea

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BMC Cancer 2008, 8:118 doi:10.1186/1471-2407-8-118

Published: 24 April 2008

Abstract

Background

The biological effects of CD24 (FL-80) cross-linking on breast cancer cells have not yet been established. We examined the impact of CD24 cross-linking on human breast cancer cell line MCF-7.

Methods

MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with anti-rabbit polyclonal IgG or anti-human CD24 rabbit polyclonal antibodies to induce cross-linking, and then growth was studied. Changes in cell characteristics such as cell cycle modulation, cell death, survival in three-dimensional cultures, adhesion, and migration ability were assayed after CD24 cross-linking in MCF-7.

Results

Expression of CD24 was analyzed by flow cytometry in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells where 2% and 66% expression frequencies were observed, respectively. CD24 cross-linking resulted in time-dependent proliferation reduction in MCF-7 cells, but no reduction in MDA-MB-231 cells. MCF-7 cell survival was reduced by 15% in three-dimensional culture after CD24 cross-linking. Increased MCF-7 cell apoptosis was observed after CD24 cross-linking, but no cell cycle arrest was observed in that condition. The migration capacity of MCF-7 cells was diminished by 30% after CD24 cross-linking.

Conclusion

Our results showed that CD24 cross-linking induced apoptosis and inhibited migration in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. We conclude that CD24 may be considered as a novel therapeutic target for breast cancer.