@Article{096504017X14874349473815,
AUTHOR = {Sukru Gulluoglu, Mesut Sahin, Emre Can Tuysuz, Cumhur Kaan Yaltirik, Aysegul Kuskucu, Ferda Ozkan, Fikrettin Sahin, Ugur Ture, Omer Faruk Bayrak},
TITLE = {Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Promotes Aggressiveness of Chordoma},
JOURNAL = {Oncology Research},
VOLUME = {25},
YEAR = {2017},
NUMBER = {7},
PAGES = {1177--1188},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/or/v25n7/56902},
ISSN = {1555-3906},
ABSTRACT = {Chordomas are rare tumors of the spine and skull base that are locally destructive and resistant to chemotherapy 
and radiation therapy, with a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Chordoma patients have a long 
life expectancy with high mortality from the disease. Cancer stem cells, which are known to exist in chordomas, have extensive proliferative and self-renewal potential and are responsible for maintaining tumor heterogeneity along with chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistance. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has multiple 
functions in stem cell biology, the immune response, and cancer, and is potentially a key molecule that allows 
cancer stem cells to self-renew. The purpose of this study was to determine whether LIF increases the aggressive traits of chordoma cells and leads to a poor prognosis in patients. Chordoma cell lines were treated with 
LIF, and functional tests were done. Twenty skull base chordoma samples were checked for levels of LIF and a 
correlation with clinicopathological features. The whole transcriptome microarray was used to observe changes 
in gene expression. We observed increased migration, invasion, tumorosphere formation, colony formation, 
epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and chemoresistance accompanied by a dramatic elevation in inflammatory 
gene networks and pathways in chordomas. The expression of LIF was associated with tumor size and a poorer 
overall survival. Microarray and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assessments suggest that LIF 
can facilitate tumor-promoting inflammation. Results indicate that LIF plays a role in maintaining cancer stem 
cells in chordomas.},
DOI = {10.3727/096504017X14874349473815}
}