摘要
CAS scientists successfully identified a multipotent type of mammary stem cells in mouse mammary gland,shedding light on targeted therapies for a refractory subtype of breast cancer.
A team of researchers at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences （SIBS）, CAS reported Oct .19 online in Nature the successful identificationof a long sought-after type of stem cells, the multipotent mammary stem cells （MaSCs） in mouse mammary gland, through a surface marker specifically expressed by this type of stem cells. This discovery settles a raging debate on the existence of multipotent MaSCs that can differentiate into all types of mammary epithelial cells, and moreover provides an ideal target for new drugs against breast cancers, especially a subtype that responds to no existing targeted therapy.
