Purification of Mammary Gland Stem Cells
Abstract
Mammary gland (MG) stem cells, like stem cells in other tissues, are quiescent cells that retain an enormous capacity for self-renewal and differentiation throughout many years of life. These primitive cells are thought to be a likely target for tumorigenesis, possibly representing the origin of some types of breast cancer. In this study, we identified and purified MG stem cells in order to study their role in the development and therapy of breast cancer. A method to previously developed purify stem cells from murine bone marrow war initially employed. Stem cells specifically expel the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33342. Bone marrow and muscle cells with low dye fluorescence, as judged by flow cytometry (side population or "SP" cells), are extremely active and homogeneous stem cells. Staining of MG cells with Hoechst dye revealed a similar dye effluxing population. We hypothesized, therefore, that such MG-SP cells contain an enriched population of mammary epithelial stem cells. The original objectives of this award were to: 1) compare the physical characteristics of MG-SP cells, including morphology and size, with those of previously recognized MG stem cells; 2) determine if cell surface markers and cell cycle status of MG-SP cells are consistent with their stem cell candidacy; and 3) determine if MG-SP cells function as MG stem cells in murine transplantation experiments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA397791
Entities
People
- Jeffrey M. Rosen
- Margaret Goodell
Organizations
- University of Chicago