Abstract
A new study by Shimono et al. (2009) demonstrates that certain microRNAs that regulate the self-renewal factor BMI1 are downregulated in purified populations of normal mammary epithelial stem cells and breast tumor-initiating cells. These findings have important implications for the regulation of self-renewal and differentiation by microRNAs and suggest new ways of targeting cancer stem cells.
MeSH terms
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Breast / cytology
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Breast Neoplasms / genetics
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Down-Regulation
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Humans
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MicroRNAs / metabolism*
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Neoplastic Stem Cells / cytology
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Neoplastic Stem Cells / metabolism*
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Nuclear Proteins / genetics
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Polycomb Repressive Complex 1
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
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Repressor Proteins / genetics
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Stem Cells / cytology
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Stem Cells / metabolism*
Substances
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BMI1 protein, human
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MicroRNAs
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Nuclear Proteins
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins
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Repressor Proteins
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Polycomb Repressive Complex 1