Re-evaluation of mammary stem cell biology based on in vivo transplantation.
Over nearly half a century, transplantation methods have been employed to regenerate the mammary gland in vivo. Recent highly cited reports claim to have demonstrated the regeneration of an entire functional mammary gland from a single mammary epithelial cell. Nevertheless, re-examination of the literature on the transplantation biology of mammary gland regeneration reveals that a complex, combinatorial interaction between variously differentiated mammary epithelial cells and the mammary fat pad stroma is indispensable to this process. In the present article, these issues are reviewed and discussed to provide a greater understanding of the complexity of these multiplex interactions.
Smith
Gilbert H
GH
Mammary Stem Cell Biology Section, Mammary Biology And Tumorigenesis Laboratory, CCR, NCI, 37 Convent Drive, Bldg. 37, Rm. 1106, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA. gs4d@nih.gov
Medina
Daniel
D
D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor