Histone demethylase KDM4C is required for ovarian cancer stem cell maintenance

Ovarian cancer is a highly deadly disease, which is often diagnosed at a late stage with metastases. However, most ovarian cancers relapse after surgery combined with platinum based chemotherapy. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are stem-like cells that possess high tumorigenic capability and display higher resistant capability against current therapies. However, our knowledge of ovarian CSCs and their molecular mechanism remain sparse. In current study, we found that KDM4C, a histone demethylase, was required for ovarian cancer stem cells (CSCs) maintenance. Depletion of KDM4C significantly reduced the CSCs population and sphere formation in vitro. Moreover, we found that KDM4C can regulate the expression of stem cell factor OCT-4 via binding to its promoter. These data indicate that KDM4C is relevant for ovarian CSCs maintenance and underscore its importance as a potential therapeutic target.