Читать книгу The SAGE Encyclopedia of Stem Cell Research - Группа авторов - Страница 227

One of the more direct implications of the presence of stem cells in the breast is their potential role in breast cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women, and significant basic and clinical research efforts have focused on understanding the biology of breast cancer to develop effective therapeutic strategies. The self-renewing nature of stem cells presents an ideal source for the origin of highly proliferative malignant tumors. With increasing knowledge of the role that stem cells may play in cancer (cancer stem cells) and the presence of stem and progenitor cells in the breast, there has been several research efforts focused on determining the presence or role of potential breast cancer stem cells. Breast cancer stem cells were first identified in 2003 based on the presence or absence of specific molecules on the cell surface. A combination of the expression of the molecule CD44 and the lack of or low expression of the molecule CD24 was used to identify breast cancer stem cells. In addition, another marker for these cells is the expression of the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Together the presence of CD44 and ALDH expression and low or absent expression of CD24 represents the most widely used identifiers for isolating breast cancer stem cells. When these cells were isolated and transplanted into immunodeficient mice, they generated tumors. However, these proteins are not the most accurate markers, and current research efforts are being directed at discovering other markers.

Arvind Suresh

Independent Scholar

See Also: Breast: Cell Types Composing the Tissue; Breast: Current Research on Isolation or Production of Therapeutic Cells; Breast: Development and Regeneration Potential.