Fig. 7: ALDH1A1 inhibitor antagonizes DDB2 silencing-induced CSC expansion and tumor growth.

a–e 2008-pTRIPZ-shDDB2 cells were treated with Dox for 10 days and NCT-501 (100 nM) for 24 h in vitro. The percentage of ALDH⁺ cells (a) and their sphere formation rates (b) were determined using FACS and the sphere formation assay, respectively. N = 3, Bar: SD, **P < 0.01. The TICf was evaluated using the xenograft assay with limiting dilution (c). Tumor images (d) and weights (e) of xenografts generated with 1 × 10⁶ cells at the end of the xenograft experiment were shown. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. f–i Orthotopic ovarian xenografts were generated by intraperitoneally injecting 2008-pTRIPZ-shDDB2-Luc cells into NOD/SCID mice, and further treated with Dox or/and NCT-501 for 20 days. The volume of tumors was determined by BLI (f), and the BLI intensity was quantified (g). Xenograft tumors were isolated, the percentage of ALDH⁺ cells (h) and the TICf (i) in xenografts were determined. **P < 0.01