Breast cancer stem cells and tumor suppressor genes

Studies of breast cancer stem cells are in their infancy and many fundamental questions have yet to be fully addressed. The molecular distinction between normal and cancerous breast stem cells is not clear. While there have been recent breakthroughs in mouse mammary stem cells and lineage determination in mammary glands, little has been determined in human cells. Microarray analyses have provided molecular categorization of breast cancer. However, the cellular origin of different types of breast cancer is largely unknown. In addition, the relationship between breast cancer stem cells and mammary progenitor cells has yet to be clarified. One of the key questions is how a normal mammary stem cell becomes a breast cancer stem cell. Importantly, the existence of different types of human breast cancers with distinct pathologic and molecular signatures suggests the possibility that different types of breast cancer stem cells may exist. Here, we aim to review the current evidence for the existence of different subtypes of breast cancer stem cells and provide further insight into how tumor suppressors might be involved in the initiation of breast cancer stem cells.