Collagen XVII/Laminin-5 Activates Epithelia-to-Mesenchymal Transition and is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Lung Cancer

We searched for candidate genes responsible for Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by microarray analysis of cultured lung cancer cells with or without the property of spheroid formation. We found increased expression of a variety of adhesion molecules in cancer stem-like cells, including Collagen XVII. Further functional assays and signaling pathway were also investigated. A549 cells were cultured in serum-free medium supplemented with EGF and bFGF (Daoy medium) for 12 days. Control was A549 cells cultured in DMEM with supplemented with 10% FBS. Cells were harvested for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix Microarray. Differentially expression genes between treatment and control were identified for functional study.