Loss of amphiregulin reduces myoepithelial cell coverage of mammary ducts and alters breast tumor growth.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Amphiregulin (AREG), a ligand of the epidermal growth factor receptor, is not only essential for proper mammary ductal development, but also associated with breast cancer proliferation and growth. In the absence of AREG, mammary ductal growth is stunted and fails to expand. Furthermore, suppression of AREG expression in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumor cells inhibits in-vitro and in-vivo growth.

Methods

We crossed AREG-null (AREG^-/-) mice with the murine luminal B breast cancer model, MMTV-PyMT (PyMT), to generate spontaneous breast tumors that lack AREG (AREG^-/- PyMT). We evaluated tumor growth, cytokeratin-8 (K8)-positive luminal cells, cytokeratin-14 (K14)-positive myoepithelial cells, and expression of AREG, Ki67, and PyMT. Primary

SUBMITTER: Mao SPH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6203982 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature