Hallmarks in colorectal cancer: Angiogenesis and cancer stem-like cells

Table 1 Markers used to identify normal colonic stem cells and colonic cancer stem-like cells

	Marker	Function
Normal stem cell	Integrin-β1 (CD29)	Cell surface receptor - cell adhesion molecule
	Hes-1	Transcriptional repressor - transactivated by Msi-1
	Msi-1	RNA binding protein - maintenance of undifferentiated state
	Bmi-1	Polycomb receptor - maintenance of chromatin silencing
	Lgr-5	Wnt target gene - potential of self renewal
	ALDH-1	Detoxifying enzyme
	DCAMKL-1	Kinase - radioresistance abilities
	TERT	Quiescent stem cells and radio resistant
	Ascl-2	Transcription factor - target of Wnt and Notch pathways
Cancer stem-like cell	CD133	Pentaspan transmembrane glycoprotein
	CD44	Hyaluronic acid receptor
	CD166	Cell adhesion molecule
	ALDH1	Enzyme
	4-Oct	POU-domain transcription factor
	SOX2	Transcription factor
	c-Myc	Transcription factor
	Integrin-β1 (CD29)	Cell surface receptor-cell adhesion molecule

Table 2 Advantages and disadvantages of the cell sorting methods

Method	Advantages	Disadvantages
MACS	Fast, easy to make	Cell labeling indispensable
FACS	Fast	Cell labeling indispensable, flux cytometry indispensable
CCE	Cell labeling not necessary, cell weight based method	Time consuming, specific instrumentation indispensable
SdFFF	Cell labeling not necessary, cell size and density based method	Time consuming, specific instrumentation indispensable

MACS: Magnetic-activated cell sorting; FACS: Fluorescence-activated cell sorting; CCE: Counterflow centrifugal elutriation; SdFFF: Sedimentation flux force fractionation.