Residual breast cancers after conventional therapy display mesenchymal as well as tumor-initiating features

Some breast cancers have been shown to contain a small fraction of cells characterized by CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) cell-surface antigen profile that have high tumor-initiating potential. In addition, breast cancer cells propagated in vitro as mammospheres (MSs) have also been shown to be enriched for cells capable of self-renewal. In this study, we have defined a gene expression signature common to both CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) and MS-forming cells. To examine its clinical significance, we determined whether tumor cells surviving after conventional treatments were enriched for cells bearing this CD44(+)/CD24(-/low)-MS signature. The CD44(+)/CD24(-/low)-MS signature was found mainly in human breast tumors of the recently…

• BC
  Breast Cancer Research Foundation
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: P30 CA125123, CA58223, CA125123, W81XWH
• NC
  National Cancer Institute

  Awards: CA125123, CA58223, P30 CA125123