Mesenchymal precursor cells maintain the differentiation and proliferation potentials of breast epithelial cells.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Stromal-epithelial interactions play a fundamental role in tissue homeostasis, controlling cell proliferation and differentiation. Not surprisingly, aberrant stromal-epithelial interactions contribute to malignancies. Studies of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions require ex vivo experimental model systems that recapitulate the complexity of human tissue without compromising the differentiation and proliferation potentials of human primary cells.

Methods

We isolated and characterized human breast epithelial and mesenchymal precursors from reduction mammoplasty tissue and tagged them with lentiviral vectors. We assembled heterotypic co-cultures and compared mesenchymal and epithelial cells to cells in corresponding monocultures by

SUBMITTER: Duss S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4095576 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature