Phenotypic and functional characterization of human mammary stem/progenitor cells in long term culture.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cancer stem cells exhibit close resemblance to normal stem cells in phenotype as well as function. Hence, studying normal stem cell behavior is important in understanding cancer pathogenesis. It has recently been shown that human breast stem cells can be enriched in suspension cultures as mammospheres. However, little is known about the behavior of these cells in long-term cultures. Since extensive self-renewal potential is the hallmark of stem cells, we undertook a detailed phenotypic and functional characterization of human mammospheres over long-term passages.

Methodology

Single cell suspensions derived from human breast 'organoids' were seeded in ultra low attachment plates in serum free media. Resulting primary mammospheres after a week (termed T1 mammosphere

SUBMITTER: Dey D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2669709 | biostudies-literature | 2009

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature