Transcriptome profiles of stem-like cells from primary breast cancers allow identification of ITGA7 as a predictive marker of chemotherapy response.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are drivers of therapy-resistance, therefore are responsible for poor survival. Molecular signatures of BCSCs from primary cancers remain undefined. Here, we identify the consistent transcriptome of primary BCSCs shared across breast cancer subtypes, and we examine the clinical relevance of ITGA7, one of the genes differentially expressed in BCSCs.

Methods

Primary BCSCs were assessed using immunohistochemistry and fluorescently labelled using Aldefluor (n = 17). Transcriptomes of fluorescently sorted BCSCs and matched non-stem cancer cells were determined using RNA-seq (n = 6). ITGA7 expression was examined in breast cancers using immunohistochemistry (n = 305), and its functional role was tested using siRNA in breast cancer cells.

SUBMITTER: Gwili N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8476506 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature