Fresh surgical specimens yield breast stem/progenitor cells and reveal their oncogenic abnormalities.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The process by which breast cancer stem cells arise is unknown. It may be that the benign stem cells in breast tissue are transformed into malignant stem cells through the acquisition of genetic abnormalities. In this study, we collected and compared benign and malignant breast stem/progenitor cells to determine whether specific genetic abnormalities occur in breast cancer stem/progenitor cells within the human body.

Methods

Fresh surgical specimens from benign and malignant breast tissues were obtained directly from the operating room and examined. Cells variably expressing stem cell-associated surface markers CD49f and CD24 were collected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The frequencies of these cells in benign and malignant breast tissues were ascertaine

SUBMITTER: Pommier SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3264874 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature