Aldehyde dehydrogenase and estrogen receptor define a hierarchy of cellular differentiation in the normal human mammary epithelium.
Authors
Honeth G, Lombardi S, Ginestier C, Hur M, Marlow R, Buchupalli B, Shinomiya I, Gazinska P, Bombelli S, Ramalingam V, Purushotham AD, Pinder SE, Dontu G
Summary
Although estrogen and progesterone play a key role in normal mammary development and in breast cancer, the potential for proliferation and lineage differentiation as well as origin of cells that express the estrogen receptor (ER) in normal breast epithelium are not known. Some evidence suggests that normal human mammary stem/progenitor cells are ER-, but the identity of these cells and the cellular hierarchy of breast epithelium are still subjects of controversy. It is likely that elucidation of these aspects will bring insight into the cellular origin of breast cancer subtypes.
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