Figure 5.

Influence on gastric cancer stem cell (CSC) stemness of targeting Gli1siRNA nanoparticles in vitro. (A) Effects of targeting Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles on cellular proliferation of CSCs based on CCK-8 assays. Data are presented as the mean ± SD from three independent experiments. a, b and c indicate p < 0.05 as compared with blank targeting nanoparticles, targeting NC siRNA nanoparticles, and Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles, respectively. (B) AFM images of CD44+ cells induced by PBS (pH 7.4), targeting NC siRNA nanoparticles, Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles and targeting Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles. The top and bottom images show full (60 × 60 µm²) and magnified images (30 × 30 µm²) of the cells, respectively. (C–E) Effects on CSC self-renewal of targeting Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles using colony (C), tumor spheroid (D) and soft agar colony (E) formation assays. Scale = 200 μm. The semi-quantification analysis for each experiment in (C–E) was performed as shown in bar graphs of the right panels, followed with a comparison test. Data are presented as the mean ± SD (n = 3).

Note: ^a-dIndicate p < 0.05 as compared with the control, blank targeting nanoparticles, targeting NC siRNA nanoparticles and Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles, respectively.