Figure 2

Agarose gel electrophoretograms demonstrating CD44 isoform expression pattern of human CRC (colorectal specific "CD44 fingerprint"). A. Primers designed on CD44 (Primer assembly: 1. A-B; 2. A-D; 3. A-E; 4. C-B; 5. C-E). B. ’CD44 fingerprint’ of colorectal cancer suspensions (HT29, HCT116 and HT25) in vitro A highly similar pattern of the expressed CD44 isoforms can be recognised. C. CD44 fingerprint of different human malignant cell line types: MCF7 human breast cancer cell line, HT199 human malignant melanoma cell line, A431 human vulvar carcinoma cell line and K562 human myelogenois leukemia cell line, respectively. D. CD44 fingerprint of HT29 colorectal cancer xenografts in orthotopic implantation model and liver colonization model. Both primary colon tumours and their liver metastases, as well as spleen primary tumours (heterotopic implantation of colon tumour suspension) and the developed liver secondaries swow the same CD44 isoform expression pattern. E. CD44 fingerprint of HCT116 xenografts in spontaneous pulmonary metastasis model of subcutaneous tumour implantation: subcutaneous primary tumours in adult and in newborn, as well as pulmonary metastases in newborn scid mice expressed the same, colorectal carcinoma specific CD44 fingerprint on serial PCR and agarose gel ELFO. (Adult mice after subcuticular tumour implantation never developed pulmonary metastases).