ALDEFLUOR activity, ALDH isoforms, and their clinical significance in cancers

J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem. 2023 Dec;38(1):2166035. doi: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2166035.

Abstract

High aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity is a metabolic feature of adult stem cells and various cancer stem cells (CSCs). The ALDEFLUOR system is currently the most commonly used method for evaluating ALDH enzyme activity in viable cells. This system is applied extensively in the isolation of normal stem cells and CSCs from heterogeneous cell populations. For many years, ALDH1A1 has been considered the most important subtype among the 19 ALDH family members in determining ALDEFLUOR activity. However, in recent years, studies of many types of normal and tumour tissues have demonstrated that other ALDH subtypes can also significantly influence ALDEFLUOR activity. In this article, we briefly review the relationships between various members of the ALDH family and ALDEFLUOR activity. The clinical significance of these ALDH isoforms in different cancers and possible directions for future studies are also summarised.

Keywords: ALDEFLUOR; ALDH; inhibitor; stem cell; tumour.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase* / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Clinical Relevance
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms* / metabolism
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / pathology
  • Protein Isoforms / metabolism

Substances

  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase
  • Protein Isoforms

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China [2022YFA11047004 to SCY], major projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China [U22A20325, 92059204 to SCY], and general projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China [82273419 to JW].