The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in the Organ Tropism of Breast Cancer Metastasis: A Mechanistic Balance between the “Seed” and the “Soil”?
Breast cancer is a prevalent disease worldwide, and the majority of deaths occur due to metastatic disease. Clinical studies have identified a specific pattern for the metastatic spread of breast cancer, termed organ tropism; where preferential secondary sites include lymph node, bone, brain, lung,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Breast Cancer |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/209748 |
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| author | Jenny E. Chu Alison L. Allan |
| author_facet | Jenny E. Chu Alison L. Allan |
| author_sort | Jenny E. Chu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Breast cancer is a prevalent disease worldwide, and the majority of deaths occur due to metastatic disease. Clinical studies have identified a specific pattern for the metastatic spread of breast cancer, termed organ tropism; where preferential secondary sites include lymph node, bone, brain, lung, and liver. A rare subpopulation of tumor cells, the cancer stem cells (CSCs), has been hypothesized to be responsible for metastatic disease and therapy resistance. Current treatments are highly ineffective against metastatic breast cancer, likely due to the innate therapy resistance of CSCs and the complex interactions that occur between cancer cells and their metastatic microenvironments. A better understanding of these interactions is essential for the development of novel therapeutic targets for metastatic disease. This paper summarizes the characteristics of breast CSCs and their potential metastatic microenvironments. Furthermore, it raises the question of the existence of a CSC niche and highlights areas for future investigation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-277ab6ed90a14b8b97333ffae8b5c5a3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2090-3170 2090-3189 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Breast Cancer |
| spelling | doaj-art-277ab6ed90a14b8b97333ffae8b5c5a32025-08-20T02:04:48ZengWileyInternational Journal of Breast Cancer2090-31702090-31892012-01-01201210.1155/2012/209748209748The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in the Organ Tropism of Breast Cancer Metastasis: A Mechanistic Balance between the “Seed” and the “Soil”?Jenny E. Chu0Alison L. Allan1Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, CanadaDepartment of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, CanadaBreast cancer is a prevalent disease worldwide, and the majority of deaths occur due to metastatic disease. Clinical studies have identified a specific pattern for the metastatic spread of breast cancer, termed organ tropism; where preferential secondary sites include lymph node, bone, brain, lung, and liver. A rare subpopulation of tumor cells, the cancer stem cells (CSCs), has been hypothesized to be responsible for metastatic disease and therapy resistance. Current treatments are highly ineffective against metastatic breast cancer, likely due to the innate therapy resistance of CSCs and the complex interactions that occur between cancer cells and their metastatic microenvironments. A better understanding of these interactions is essential for the development of novel therapeutic targets for metastatic disease. This paper summarizes the characteristics of breast CSCs and their potential metastatic microenvironments. Furthermore, it raises the question of the existence of a CSC niche and highlights areas for future investigation.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/209748 |
| spellingShingle | Jenny E. Chu Alison L. Allan The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in the Organ Tropism of Breast Cancer Metastasis: A Mechanistic Balance between the “Seed” and the “Soil”? International Journal of Breast Cancer |
| title | The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in the Organ Tropism of Breast Cancer Metastasis: A Mechanistic Balance between the “Seed” and the “Soil”? |
| title_full | The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in the Organ Tropism of Breast Cancer Metastasis: A Mechanistic Balance between the “Seed” and the “Soil”? |
| title_fullStr | The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in the Organ Tropism of Breast Cancer Metastasis: A Mechanistic Balance between the “Seed” and the “Soil”? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in the Organ Tropism of Breast Cancer Metastasis: A Mechanistic Balance between the “Seed” and the “Soil”? |
| title_short | The Role of Cancer Stem Cells in the Organ Tropism of Breast Cancer Metastasis: A Mechanistic Balance between the “Seed” and the “Soil”? |
| title_sort | role of cancer stem cells in the organ tropism of breast cancer metastasis a mechanistic balance between the seed and the soil |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/209748 |
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