Mammosphere Culture Enriches Tumorigenic Breast Cancer Cells
Author Information
Author(s): Matthew J Grimshaw, Lucienne Cooper, Konstantinos Papazisis, Julia A Coleman, Hermann R Bohnenkamp, Laura Chiapero-Stanke, Joyce Taylor-Papadimitriou, Joy M Burchell
Primary Institution: King's College London
Hypothesis
Can mammosphere culture of metastatic breast cancer cells enrich for tumorigenic cells?
Conclusion
Mammosphere culture of pleural effusions from breast cancer patients enriches for cells capable of inducing tumors in mice.
Supporting Evidence
- 74% of pleural effusion samples produced viable mammospheres.
- Four out of eight tested mammospheres induced tumors in SCID mice.
- Mammosphere culture can enrich for tumorigenic cells from breast cancer patients.
Takeaway
Scientists found that growing breast cancer cells in special conditions called mammospheres helps them find the cells that can cause tumors.
Methodology
Cells from pleural effusions were cultured in non-adherent conditions to form mammospheres, and their tumorigenicity was tested in SCID mice.
Limitations
The study primarily focused on pleural effusions and did not explore other potential sources of breast cancer stem cells.
Participant Demographics
Pleural effusions from 27 late-stage breast cancer patients.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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