Phenotypic characterization of mammosphere-forming cells from the human MA-11 breast carcinoma cell line.

ABSTRACT: The phenotypic diversity of breast carcinoma may be explained by the existence of a sub-population of breast cancer cells, endowed with stem cell-like properties and gene expression profiles, able to differentiate along different pathways. A stem cell-like population of CD44(+)CD24(-/low) breast cancer cells was originally identified using cells from metastatic pleural effusions of breast carcinoma patients. We have previously reported that upon in vitro culture as mammospheres under stem cell-like conditions, human MA-11 breast carcinoma cells acquired increased tumorigenicity and lost CD24 expression compared with the parental cell line. We now report that upon passage of MA-11 mammospheres into serum-supplemented cultures, CD24 expression was restored; the rapid increase in CD24 express

SUBMITTER: Rappa G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3275440 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature