Breast cancer subtypes: two decades of journey from cell culture to patients

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2011:720:135-44. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-0254-1_11.

Abstract

Recent molecular profiling has identified six major subtypes of breast cancers that exhibit different survival outcomes for patients. To address the origin of different subtypes of breast cancers, we have now identified, isolated, and immortalized (using hTERT) mammary stem/progenitor cells which maintain their stem/progenitor properties even after immortalization. Our decade long research has shown that these stem/progenitor cells are highly susceptible to oncogenesis. Given the emerging evidence that stem/progenitor cells are precursors of cancers and that distinct subtypes of breast cancer have different survival outcome, these cellular models provide novel tools to understand the oncogenic process leading to various subtypes of breast cancers and for future development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat different subtypes of breast cancers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / classification*
  • Breast Neoplasms / mortality
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Culture Techniques*
  • Cell Separation
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic*
  • Epithelial Cells / classification
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / physiology
  • Stem Cells / physiology
  • Telomerase / genetics

Substances

  • TERT protein, human
  • Telomerase