{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T22:41:23Z","timestamp":1760136083242,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,18]],"date-time":"2022-01-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1642464000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PTDC\/MEC-ONC\/29503\/2017","2020.04720.BD"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PTDC\/MEC-ONC\/29503\/2017","2020.04720.BD"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"HOPE: Improving ovarian cancer patients\u2019 survival","award":["Donation from an ovarian cancer patient"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Donation from an ovarian cancer patient"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Mesothelin (MSLN) overexpression (OE) is a frequent finding in ovarian carcinomas and increases cell survival and tumor aggressiveness. Since cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to pathogenesis, chemoresistance and malignant behavior in ovarian cancer (OC), we hypothesized that MSLN expression could be creating a favorable environment that nurtures CSCs. In this study, we analyzed the expression of MSLN and CSC markers SOX2 and ALDH1 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in different model systems: primary high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs) and OC cell lines, including cell lines that were genetically engineered for MSLN expression by either CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockout (\u0394) or lentivirus-mediated OE. Cell lines, wild type and genetically engineered, were evaluated in 2D and 3D culture conditions and xenografted in nude mice. We observed that MSLN was widely expressed in HGSC, and restricted expression was observed in OC cell lines. In contrast, SOX2 and ALDH1 expression was limited in all tissue and cell models. Most importantly, the expression of CSC markers was independent of MSLN expression, and manipulation of MSLN expression did not affect CSC markers. In conclusion, MSLN expression is not involved in driving the CSC phenotype.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms23031016","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,18]],"date-time":"2022-01-18T08:09:20Z","timestamp":1642493360000},"page":"1016","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Mesothelin Expression Is Not Associated with the Presence of Cancer Stem Cell Markers SOX2 and ALDH1 in Ovarian Cancer"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4733-5778","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mariana","family":"Nunes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Differentiation and Cancer Group, Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) of the University of Porto\/Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (Ipatimup), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0384-4500","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francisca","family":"Pacheco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Differentiation and Cancer Group, Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) of the University of Porto\/Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (Ipatimup), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ricardo","family":"Coelho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ovarian Cancer Research, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland"}]},{"given":"Dina","family":"Leit\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4091-2226","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Ricardo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Differentiation and Cancer Group, Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) of the University of Porto\/Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (Ipatimup), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"TOXRUN, Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4207-9258","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonor","family":"David","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Differentiation and Cancer Group, Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) of the University of Porto\/Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (Ipatimup), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"136","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.93.1.136","article-title":"Molecular cloning of mesothelin, a differentiation antigen present on mesothelium, mesotheliomas, and ovarian cancers","volume":"93","author":"Chang","year":"1996","journal-title":"Proc. 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