title: The mammary cellular hierarchy and breast cancer.
abstract: Advances in the study of hematopoietic cell maturation have paved the way to a deeper understanding the stem and progenitor cellular hierarchy in the mammary gland. The mammary epithelium, unlike the hematopoietic cellular hierarchy, sits in a complex niche where communication between epithelial cells and signals from the systemic hormonal milieu, as well as from extra-cellular matrix, influence cell fate decisions and contribute to tissue homeostasis. We review the discovery, definition and regulation of the mammary cellular hierarchy and we describe the development of the concepts that have guided our investigations. We outline recent advances in in vivo lineage tracing that is now challenging many of our assumptions regarding the behavior of mammary stem cells, and we show how understanding these cellular lineages has altered our view of breast cancer.
authors: Cancer Division, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St., Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia.
authors: Samantha R
authors: SR
authors: Oakes
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Gallego-Ortega
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Ormandy
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D005260:Female; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D006801:Humans; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000166:cytology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents