title: The biology of human breast epithelial progenitors.
abstract: Current evidence suggests that similar to other tissues in the human body mammary epithelia cells are being maintained by the unique properties of stem cells, undifferentiated as well as lineage-restricted progenitors. Because of their longevity, proliferation and differentiation potentials these primitive breast epithelial cells are likely targets of transforming mutations that can cause them to act as cancer initiating cells. In this context, understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate the normal functions of the human breast epithelial stem cells and progenitors and how alterations to these same mechanisms can confer a cancer stem cell phenotype on these rare cell populations is crucial to the development of new and more effective therapies again breast cancer. This review article will examine the current state of knowledge about the isolation and characterization of human breast epithelial progenitors and their relevance to breast cancer research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba and Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. raouf@cc.umanitoba.ca
authors.forename: Afshin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raouf
authors.forename: Yujia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Sumanta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: Pratima
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Basak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated; D014157:Transcription Factors