OCT-4, an Embryonic Stem Cell Marker Expressed in Breast, Brain and Thyroid Carcinomas Compared to Testicular Carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer stem cells are a small subpopulation of cells within a tumor which are responsible for maintaining the tumor mass. A number of factors such as OCT-4 that govern the fate of adult stem cells also play a role in malignant cell transformation. OCT-4 is a key regulator of self-renewal in embryonic stem cells; its expression is potentially correlated with tumorigenesis and can affect some aspects of tumor behavior such as tumor recurrence or resistance to therapies.