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Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples
Published on: October 2, 2020
Human amniotic membrane-derived stromal cells (hAMSC) interact depending on breast cancer cell type through secreted
Sun-Hee Kim1, So Hee Bang2, So Yeong Kang2
1National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Cheongju, Chuncheongbuk-do 363-700, Republic of Korea; Laboratory of Biopharmaceutical Process, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Human amniotic membrane-derived stromal cells (hAMSC) are candidates for cell-based therapies. We examined the characteristics of hAMSC including the interaction between hAMSC and breast cancer cells, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231. Human amniotic membrane-derived stromal cells showed typical MSC properties, including fibroblast-like morphology, surface antigen expression, and mesodermal differentiation. To investigate cell-cell interaction via secreted molecules, we cultured breast cancer cells in hAMSC-conditioned medium (hAMSC-CM) and analyzed their proliferation, migration, and secretome profiles. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells exposed to hAMSC-CM showed increased proliferation and migration. However, in hAMSC-CM, MCF-7 cells proliferated significantly faster than MDA-MB-231 cells. When cultured in hAMSC-CM, MCF-7 cells migrated faster than MDA-MB-231 cells. Two cell types showed different profiles of secreted factors. MCF-7 cells expressed much amounts of IL-8, GRO, and MCP-1 in hAMSC-CM. Human amniotic membrane-derived stromal cells interact with breast cancer cells through secreted molecules. Factors secreted by hAMSCs promote the proliferation and migration of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. For much safe cell-based therapies using hAMSC, it is necessary to study carefully about interaction between hAMSC and cancer cells.
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