Stem Cells in the Human Breast

Overview

Journal Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol

Specialties Biology
Molecular Biology

Date 2010 May 11

PMID 20452965

Citations 55

Authors

Ole William Petersen

Kornelia Polyak

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The origins of the epithelial cells participating in the development, tissue homeostasis, and cancer of the human breast are poorly understood. However, emerging evidence suggests a role for adult tissue-specific stem cells in these processes. In a hierarchical manner, these generate the two main mammary cell lineages, producing an increasing number of cells with distinct properties. Understanding the biological characteristics of human breast stem cells and their progeny is crucial in attempts to compare the features of normal stem cells and cancer precursor cells and distinguish these from nonprecursor cells and cells from the bulk of a tumor. A historical overview of research on human breast stem cells in primary tissue and in culture reveals the progress that has been made in this area, whereas a focus on the cell-of-origin and reprogramming that occurs during neoplastic conversion provides insight into the enigmatic way in which human breast cancers are skewed toward the luminal epithelial lineage.

Citing Articles

Breast Morphogenesis: From Normal Development to Cancer.

Ingthorsson S, Traustadottir G, Gudjonsson T Adv Exp Med Biol. 2025; 1464():29-44.

PMID: 39821019 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-70875-6_3.

Oncogene activated human breast luminal progenitors contribute basally located myoepithelial cells.

Kohler K, Kim J, Villadsen R, Ronnov-Jessen L, Petersen O Breast Cancer Res. 2024; 26(1):183.

PMID: 39695857 PMC: 11656586. DOI: 10.1186/s13058-024-01939-x.

Intermediate Filaments in Breast Cancer Progression, and Potential Biomarker for Cancer Therapy: A Narrative Review.

Shalannandia W, Chou Y, Bashari M, Khairani A Breast Cancer (Dove Med Press). 2024; 16:689-704.

PMID: 39430570 PMC: 11488350. DOI: 10.2147/BCTT.S489953.

Associations of stem cell markers in benign breast tissue with subsequent breast cancer risk.

Yaghjyan L, Heng Y, Baker G, Murthy D, Mahoney M, Rosner B Am J Cancer Res. 2024; 13(12):6280-6289.

PMID: 38187066 PMC: 10767353.

Identification of a core EMT signature that separates basal-like breast cancers into partial- and post-EMT subtypes.

Knutsen E, Das Sajib S, Fiskaa T, Lorens J, Gudjonsson T, Maelandsmo G Front Oncol. 2023; 13:1249895.

PMID: 38111531 PMC: 10726128. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1249895.

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