title: Role of epithelial stem/progenitor cells in mammary cancer.
abstract: Both mouse and human mammary glands contain stem/progenitor functional hierarchies that are maintained through the entire life span of the animal. Cells with such functional capacities are potential candidates for tumorigenesis as they are long lived, multipotent, and self-renewing. Using the mouse as a model, this review will discuss what is known about the mammary stem/progenitor hierarchy, the evidence that particular progenitor functions are susceptible to tumorigenic stimuli, how these findings in mice are relevant to the disease in humans, and the role of the local microenvironment in controlling tumorigenesis.
authors.affiliation: Mammary Biology and Tumorigenesis Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Gilbert H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D055153:Stem Cell Niche; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment