Dontu, G., Al-Hajj, M., Abdallah, W. M., Clarke, M. F. & Wicha, M. S. Stem cells in normal breast development and breast cancer.
The gene expression of three genes and their "activation" signatures were compared to a panel of mammary cell lineage expression data, as well as breast tumor expression data, to help elucidate their role in breast development and breast tumorigenesis.
Phosphorylation of proteins on serine/threonine residues preceding proline (Ser/Thr-Pro) is a key signaling mechanism in breast development and breast cancer [ 1- 3].
Various studies suggest that Pin1 might also play an important role in many other cell types and cancers, besides its role in breast development and breast cancer.
By regulating genes controlling cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, EMT, migration, invasion, and metastasis formation, Smads have crucial functions in both breast development and breast cancer.
The meeting was opened by a plenary lecture on stem cells in normal breast development and breast cancer by Max Wicha (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA).
Progesterone is an ovarian steroid hormone essential for breast development and implicated in breast cancer progression.
Stromal-epithelial interactions mediate breast development, and the initiation and progression of breast cancer.
The steroid hormones, estrogens and progesterone are key drivers of postnatal breast development and are linked to breast carcinogenesis.
In turn, the animal studies will provide a mechanistic understanding of how environmental exposures may affect pubertal breast development and adversely influence breast cancer risk in adult life.
Interactions between stroma and epithelium are known to influence breast development and the changes in breast structure that take place during pregnancy, lactation, and involution and during tumorigenesis.
