Interleukin-22 promotes cancer stemness and chemotherapy resistance in colorectal cancer via epidermal growth factor receptor/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway

Figure 1 Interleukin-22 treatment promotes cell proliferation, enhances sphere forming, and activates stemness-related gene expression in colorectal cancer cells. A: Cell availability assay in the treatment with Interleukin-22 (IL-22) (5 ng/mL and 50 ng/mL) in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells; B: Representative images of tumor spheres under IL-22 treatment; C: Quantification of tumor spheres; D: Representative protein bands of SOX2, Oct4, NANOG, and Bmi-1; E: Densitometric analysis of SOX2, Oct4, NANOG, and Bmi-1 normalized to GAPDH. Data are represented as mean ± SE (n = 3). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. ^aP < 0.01 vs PBS group.