Cellular and genetic diversity in the progression of in situ human breast carcinomas to an invasive phenotype Journal Article


Authors: Park, S. Y.; Gonen, M.; Kim, H. J.; Michor, F.; Polyak, K.
Article Title: Cellular and genetic diversity in the progression of in situ human breast carcinomas to an invasive phenotype
Abstract: Intratumor genetic heterogeneity is a key mechanism underlying tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. The prevailing model for explaining intratumor diversity, the clonal evolution model, has recently been challenged by proponents of the cancer stem cell hypothesis. To investigate this issue, we performed combined analyses of markers associated with cellular differentiation states and genotypic alterations in human breast carcinomas and evaluated diversity with ecological and evolutionary methods. Our analyses showed a high degree of genetic heterogeneity both within and between distinct tumor cell populations that were defined based on markers of cellular phenotypes including stem cell-like characteristics. In several tumors, stem cell-like and more-differentiated cancer cell populations were genetically distinct, leading us to question the validity of a simple differentiation hierarchy-based cancer stem cell model. The degree of diversity correlated with clinically relevant breast tumor subtypes and in some tumors was markedly different between the in situ and invasive cell populations. We also found that diversity measures were associated with clinical variables. Our findings highlight the importance of genetic diversity in intratumor heterogeneity and the value of analyzing tumors as distinct populations of cancer cells to more effectively plan treatments.
Keywords: human cell; cancer growth; phenotype; in situ hybridization, fluorescence; genetic variability; genotype; genetic variation; evolution; cell differentiation; cell population; breast neoplasms; chromosomes, human, pair 8; stem cell; disease progression; breast tumor; cancer cell; breast carcinoma; carcinoma in situ; cancer stem cell; tumor cell; validity; invasive carcinoma; neoplasm invasiveness; antigens, cd; genes, erbb-2; genetic heterogeneity; marker; ecology; antigens, cd44; receptors, ige
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Investigation
Volume: 120
Issue: 2
ISSN: 0021-9738
Publisher: American Society for Clinical Investigation  
Date Published: 2010-02-01
Start Page: 636
End Page: 644
Language: English
DOI: 10.1172/jci40724
PUBMED: 20101094
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC2810089
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Cited By (since 1996): 17" - "Export Date: 20 April 2011" - "CODEN: JCINA" - "Source: Scopus"
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  1. Mithat Gonen
    1028 Gonen
  2. Franziska Michor
    23 Michor