Comparative oncogenomics identifies breast tumors enriched in functional tumor-initiating cells.

ABSTRACT: The claudin-low subtype is a recently identified rare molecular subtype of human breast cancer that expresses low levels of tight and adherens junction genes and shows high expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) genes. These tumors are enriched in gene expression signatures derived from human tumor-initiating cells (TICs) and human mammary stem cells. Through cross-species analysis, we discovered mouse mammary tumors that have similar gene expression characteristics as human claudin-low tumors and were also enriched for the human TIC signature. Such claudin-low tumors were similarly rare but came from a number of distinct mouse models, including the p53 null transplant model. Here we present a molecular characterization of 50 p53 null mammary tumors compared with other mo

SUBMITTER: Herschkowitz JI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3286979 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature