title: Breast cancer stem cells: obstacles to therapy.
abstract: Only a fraction of the cells in a breast tumour are able to seed new tumour growth. These so-called breast cancer stem cells (bCSCs) are characterised by a number of discrete functional properties, some of which impact on therapeutic strategies aimed at eliminating these cells from tumours. Here we discuss how recent experimental evidence indicates that phenotypic plasticity is a central feature of tumour cell heterogeneity and drug resistance, traits that must be overcome in order to efficiently target bCSCs as a therapy for breast cancer. We propose that a better understanding of this fundamental property of breast cancer stem cells, over and above their identification in tumours, is a priority for improvement of patient survival.
authors.affiliation: European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, University of Cardiff, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smalley
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piggott
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Clarkson
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects