Aldehyde dehydrogenases and cancer stem cells

Cancer Lett. 2015 Dec 1;369(1):50-7. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2015.08.018. Epub 2015 Aug 28.

Abstract

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs), as essential regulators of aldehyde metabolism in the human body, protect organisms from damage induced by active aldehydes. Given their roles in different cancer types, ALDHs have been evaluated as potential prognostic markers of cancer. ALDHs exhibit high activity in cancer stem cells (CSCs) and may serve as markers of CSCs. Moreover, studies indicated that ALDHs and their regulated retinoic acid, reactive oxygen species and reactive aldehydes metabolism were strongly related with various properties of CSCs. Besides, recent research evidences have demonstrated the transcriptional and post-translational regulation of ALDH expression and activation in CSCs. Thus, this review focuses on the function and regulation of ALDHs in CSCs, particularly ALDH1A1 and ALDH1A3.

Keywords: Aldehyde dehydrogenase; Cancer stem cell; Metabolic substrate; Signal transduction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / enzymology*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / enzymology*
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase