Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 23, 2025
07:03
Isolation and Functional Assessment of Human Breast Cancer Stem Cells from Cell and Tissue Samples
Published on: October 2, 2020
4.8K
MYC dysfunction modulates stemness and tumorigenesis in breast cancer
Yiqiu Liu1, Chengjun Zhu1, Lin Tang2
1Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China.
International Journal of Biological Sciences
|January 4, 2021
Summary
The MYC oncogene plays a key role in breast cancer development and progression. Its amplification predicts diagnosis and prognosis, and it interacts with cancer stem cells, influencing metastasis.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- MYC is a proto-oncogene and transcription factor implicated in various cancers.
- MYC deregulation is observed in breast cancer, but its precise role and mechanisms remain unclear.
- Understanding MYC's function is crucial for breast cancer research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role and mechanism of MYC deregulation in breast cancer.
- To analyze MYC's mRNA expression, prognostic value, and pathway interactions.
- To explore the relationship between MYC and cancer stem cells in breast cancer.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multiple public databases: UALCAN, bc-GenExMiner, TCGA, cBioportal, STRING, and Kaplan-Meier Plotter.
- Analyzed MYC mRNA expression across breast cancer subtypes.
- Examined MYC's association with signaling pathways and cancer stem cell markers.
Main Results:
- MYC expression varies across breast cancer subtypes, notably high in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
- MYC influences signaling pathways (estrogen, WNT, NOTCH) and interacts with cancer stem cells.
- MYC shows significant positive correlation with stem cell markers (CD44, CD24, ALDH1).
Conclusions:
- MYC amplification serves as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in breast cancer.
- MYC's interaction with cancer stem cells is critical for breast cancer initiation and metastasis.
- MYC is a significant regulatory factor in breast cancer occurrence.
Related Concept Videos
02:23Abnormal Proliferation
4.9K
Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
4.9K
01:06Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
4.9K
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic...
Somatic...
4.9K
03:03mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
4.1K
The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.1K
02:40Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
5.3K
Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
5.3K
02:38Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
7.4K
Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
7.4K
01:12Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
5.5K
Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
5.5K