The Role of Myoepithelial Maspin in Breast Carcinoma Progression Diagnosis and Screening
Abstract
In many glandular organs, a precancerous state is thought to exist which precedes the development of frankly invasive carcinoma. In the breast this state is recognized as DCIS and consists of a proliferation of epithelial luminal cells confined by myoepithelial cells within the ductal system (1-7). CGH and LOM studies have failed to demonstrate a difference between DCIS and invasive breast carcinoma. Our laboratory has recently demonstrated that paracrine regulation of this transition by myoepithelial cells may be the main determinant of this important step in human breast carcinoma progression. Because of their close proximity to precancerous lesions, myoepithelial cells would be expected to exert important paracrine influences on these processes. Myoepithelial cells of the breast differ from ductal cells in many ways: they lack ER- a, and its downstream genes; they synthesize the adjacent basement membrane; they rarely proliferate or fully transform and give rise rarely only to low grade benign neoplasms. Myoepithelial cells are present around normal ducts and precancerous proliferations but are absent in invasive carcinoma.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA396099
Entities
People
- Sanford H. Barsky
Organizations
- University of California, Los Angeles