Methods And Uses Involving Aquaporin-5 (AQP5)

-4. (canceled)

-8. (canceled)

(canceled)

(canceled)

A method of isolating one or more gastric cancer stem cells from a cell population, comprising:

• i) contacting cells of the cell population with an agent that binds to AQP5;
• ii) isolating one or more AQP5-expressing cells that are bound to the agent, wherein the one or more AQP5-expressing cells are gastric cancer stem cells.

-25. (canceled)

A method of ablating or eliminating an AQP5+ gastric cancer stem cell, wherein a) the AQP5+ gastric cancer stem cell has been modified to express the DTR gene or an inducible Caspase9 (iCasp9) gene, comprising contacting said cell with a diphtheria toxin (DT) or an inducer of iCasp9;

• or b) the method comprising contacting the cell with an agent that binds to AQP5, wherein binding of the AQP5+ cell with the agent ablates or eliminates the cell.

-28. (canceled)

A method of treating gastric cancer in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of one or more agents that eliminates or ablates AQP5-expressing cells to the subject.

(canceled)

A biomarker of gastric cancer stem cells, wherein the biomarker is AQP5 or is a membrane-bound AQP5.

-36. (canceled)

A method of i) inhibiting gastric cancer tumorigenesis, ii) gastric cancer progression, or iii) promoting gastric cancer regression, the method comprising administering an AQP5 inhibitor to a subject.

(canceled)

-43. (canceled)

-51. (canceled)