Specific Smad2/3 Linker Phosphorylation Indicates Esophageal Non-neoplastic and Neoplastic Stem-Like Cells and Neoplastic Development

There is little known about stem cells in human non-neoplastic and neoplastic esophageal epithelia. We have demonstrated expression of linker threonine-phosphorylated Smad2/3 (pSmad2/3L-Thr), suggesting presence of stem-like cells in mouse esophageal epithelium, and identified presence of pSmad2/3L-Thr-positive cells that might function as cancer stem cells in mouse model of colorectal carcinoma. We explore whether pSmad2/3L-Thr can be used as a...