title: Mammary gland stem cells and their application in breast cancer.
abstract: The mammary gland is an organ comprising two primary lineages, specifically the inner luminal and the outer myoepithelial cell layers. Mammary gland stem cells (MaSCs) are highly dynamic and self-renewing, and can give rise to these mammary gland lineages. The lineages are responsible for gland generation during puberty as well as expansion during pregnancy. In recent years, researchers have focused on understanding how MaSCs are regulated during mammary gland development and transformation of breast cancer. Here, we summarize the identification of MaSCs, and how they are regulated by the signaling transduction pathways, mammary gland microenvironment, and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Moreover, we debate the evidence for their serving as the origin of breast cancer, and discuss the therapeutic perspectives of targeting breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). In conclusion, a better understanding of the key regulators of MaSCs is crucial for the clinical treatment of breast cancer.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors: Xing
authors: X
authors: Yang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Wang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors: Baowei
authors: B
authors: Jiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D000066673:Cell Self Renewal; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000166:cytology*; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000166:cytology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D015398:Signal Transduction; D055153:Stem Cell Niche; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: BCSCs; MaSCs; breast cancer stem cells; mammary gland stem cells; therapeutic perspectives