TY - JOUR

T1 - Mammary gland stem cells

T2 - current status and future challenges

AU - Fridriksdottir, Agla J R

AU - Petersen, Ole W

AU - Rønnov-Jessen, Lone

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - Distinct subsets of cells, including cells with stem cell-like properties, have been proposed to exist in normal human breast epithelium and breast carcinomas. The cellular origins of epithelial cells contributing to gland development, tissue homeostasis and cancer are, however, still poorly understood. The mouse is a widely used model of mammary gland development, both directly by studying the mouse mammary epithelial cells themselves and indirectly, by studying development, morphogenesis, differentiation and carcinogenesis of xenotransplanted human breast epithelium in vivo. While in early studies, human or mouse epithelium was implanted as fragments into the mouse gland, more recent technical progress has allowed the self-renewal capacity and differentiation potential of distinct cell populations or even individual cells to be interrogated. Here, we review and discuss similarities and differences between mouse and human gland development with particular emphasis on the identity and localization of stem cells, and the influence of the surrounding microenvironment. It is concluded that while recent advances in the field have contributed immense insight into how the normal mammary gland develops and is maintained, significant discrepancies exist between the mouse and human gland which should be taken into consideration in current and future models of mammary stem cell biology.

AB - Distinct subsets of cells, including cells with stem cell-like properties, have been proposed to exist in normal human breast epithelium and breast carcinomas. The cellular origins of epithelial cells contributing to gland development, tissue homeostasis and cancer are, however, still poorly understood. The mouse is a widely used model of mammary gland development, both directly by studying the mouse mammary epithelial cells themselves and indirectly, by studying development, morphogenesis, differentiation and carcinogenesis of xenotransplanted human breast epithelium in vivo. While in early studies, human or mouse epithelium was implanted as fragments into the mouse gland, more recent technical progress has allowed the self-renewal capacity and differentiation potential of distinct cell populations or even individual cells to be interrogated. Here, we review and discuss similarities and differences between mouse and human gland development with particular emphasis on the identity and localization of stem cells, and the influence of the surrounding microenvironment. It is concluded that while recent advances in the field have contributed immense insight into how the normal mammary gland develops and is maintained, significant discrepancies exist between the mouse and human gland which should be taken into consideration in current and future models of mammary stem cell biology.

KW - Animals

KW - Breast

KW - Breast Neoplasms

KW - Cell Differentiation

KW - Cell Lineage

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Mammary Glands, Animal

KW - Mice

KW - Neoplastic Stem Cells

KW - Signal Transduction

KW - Stem Cell Niche

KW - Stem Cell Transplantation

KW - Stem Cells

KW - Transplantation, Heterologous

KW - Tumor Microenvironment

U2 - 10.1387/ijdb.113373af

DO - 10.1387/ijdb.113373af

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22161829

VL - 55

SP - 719

EP - 729

JO - International Journal of Developmental Biology

JF - International Journal of Developmental Biology

SN - 0214-6282

IS - 7-9

ER -