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Breast Cancer Research
Published in: Breast Cancer Research 5/2008

01-10-2008 | Viewpoint

Highway to heaven: mammary gland development and differentiation

Authors: Lorenzo Melchor, Matthew J Smalley

Published in: Breast Cancer Research | Issue 5/2008

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Abstract

In recent years, the mammary gland epithelium has been shown to be a mixture of differentiated cell populations in a hierarchical relationship with their stem and progenitor cells. However, the mechanisms that regulate their cellular differentiation processes are still unclear. The identification of genes that govern stem and progenitor cell expansion, or that determine daughter cell fate, will be of crucial interest for understanding breast cancer diversity and, ultimately, improving treatment. Two recent analyses have identified some of the key genes that regulate these processes, lighting up the highway to normal mammary gland development.
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Metadata
Title
Highway to heaven: mammary gland development and differentiation
Authors
Lorenzo Melchor
Matthew J Smalley
Publication date
01-10-2008
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Breast Cancer Research / Issue 5/2008
Electronic ISSN: 1465-542X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/bcr2147

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