Benign mammary epithelial cells enhance the transformed phenotype of human breast cancer cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent research has yielded a wealth of data underscoring the key role of the cancer microenvironment, especially immune and stromal cells, in the progression of cancer and the development of metastases. However, the role of adjacent benign epithelial cells, which provide initial cell-cell contacts with cancer cells, in tumor progression has not been thoroughly examined. In this report we addressed the question whether benign MECs alter the transformed phenotype of human breast cancer cells.

Methods

We used both in vitro and in vivo co-cultivation approaches, whereby we mixed GFP-tagged MCF-10A cells (G2B-10A), as a model of benign mammary epithelial cells (MECs), and RFP-tagged MDA-MB-231-TIAS cells (R2-T1AS), as a model of breast cancer cells.

Results

The

SUBMITTER: Poczobutt JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2913961 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature