Figure 5. Analysis of direct xenograft tumors by flow cytometry after digestion into single cell suspensions.

(A) Tumors initiated from 100 ALDH^high/CD133⁻ cells were digested into single cell suspensions and analyzed by flow cytometry following staining with the Aldefluor reagent and directly conjugated CD133 antibodies. Both ALDH^high and ALDH^low cell populations were present in formed tumors in proportions (% cell population) similar to parental tumors. (B) Representative image of analysis of ALDH^high and ALDH^low cell populations for co-expression of CD44 and CD24 by flow cytometry. Small proportions of cells expressing CD44 and CD24 were present in both cell populations. ALDH^high/CD44⁺/CD24⁺ cell populations comprised an average of only 0.015% of all viable, human pancreatic cancer cells and an average of 0.48% of all ALDH^high cells.