• Ovarian cancer cells isolated from ovarian tumor specimens of a patient were heterogeneous in growth rate, cell cycle distribution, and expression profile of genes and proteins.
• CD24, CD44, ESA, and CD117 are potential surface marker to identify ovarian cancer stem-like cells.
• The analysis of array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and IPA indicated that novel core networks and molecules closely related to CSCs, such as Notch signaling, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, PTEN signaling, G1/S and G2/M checkpoint regulation, PI3K/AKT signaling, and p53 signaling, were involved in the different functions of SP and NSP isolated from ovarian cancer.

Altogether, these observations suggest human ovarian tumor cells are organized as a hierarchy and CD24 demarcates an ovarian cancer-initiating cell population. These findings will have important clinical applications for developing effective therapeutic strategies to treat ovarian cancer.

Results (I) : Clone derivation with different characteristics 

Results (II) :Identification of ovarian cancer stem cells