Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026

Modeling Breast Cancer via an Intraductal Injection of Cre-expressing Adenovirus into the Mouse Mammary Gland
Published on: June 7, 2019
What drives breast cancer heterogeneity: oncogenic events or cell of origin?
Christophe Ginestier1, Emmanuelle Charafe-Jauffret, Daniel Birnbaum
1Centre de Recherche en Cancerologie de Marseille (CRCM), Laboratoire d'Oncologie Moléculaire, Marseille, France.
Abstract:
Breast cancer is known to show considerable inter-tumoural heterogeneity. It is widely accepted that combinations of oncogenic events have a major role in determining tumour phenotype. However, accumulating evidence suggests that the identity of the cell that acquires the first oncogenic event, the so-called cell of origin, may define the molecular subtype of the resulting tumour. Recent work published in the Journal of Pathology by Natrajan and colleagues questions the origin of breast cancer heterogeneity. After studying BRCA1 tumours, they suggest that genomic alterations are not sufficient to determine tumour behaviour. These and other recent observations underscore the importance of defining what is causing tumour heterogeneity, so that appropriate therapy can be given.
Related Concept Videos
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Cancer
Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...

