title: Epigenetic Regulation of miRNAs and Breast Cancer Stem Cells.
abstract: MicroRNAs have emerged as important targets of chemopreventive strategies in breast cancer. We have found that miRNAs are dysregulated at an early stage in breast cancer, in non-malignant Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. Many dietary chemoprevention agents can act by epigenetically activating miRNA-signaling pathways involved in tumor cell proliferation and invasive progression. In addition, many miRNAs activated via chemopreventive strategies target cancer stem cell signaling and prevent tumor progression or relapse. Specifically, we have found that miRNAs regulate DCIS stem cells, which may play important roles in breast cancer progression to invasive disease. We have shown that chemopreventive agents can directly inhibit DCIS stem cells and block tumor formationin vivo, via activation of tumor suppressor miRNAs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201.
authors.forename: Nadire
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Duru
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201.
authors.forename: Ramkishore
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gernapudi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eades
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
keywords: Cancer stem cell; Chemoprevention; DCIS; Epigenetics; breast cancer; microRNAs