Erschienen in:
21.07.2020 | Preclinical study
Parity reduces mammary repopulating activity but does not affect mammary stem cells defined as CD24 + CD29/CD49fhi in mice
verfasst von:
Genevieve V. Dall, Jessica Vieusseux, Yashar Seyed-Razavi, Nathan Godde, Mandy Ludford-Menting, Sarah M. Russell, Alan Ashworth, Robin L. Anderson, Gail P. Risbridger, Mark Shackleton, Kara L. Britt
Erschienen in:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
|
Ausgabe 3/2020
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Abstract
Background
Breast cancer (BCa) mortality is decreasing with early detection and improvement in therapies. The incidence of BCa, however, continues to increase, particularly estrogen-receptor-positive (ER +) subtypes. One of the greatest modifiers of ER + BCa risk is childbearing (parity), with BCa risk halved in young multiparous mothers. Despite convincing epidemiological data, the biology that underpins this protection remains unclear. Parity-induced protection has been postulated to be due to a decrease in mammary stem cells (MaSCs); however, reports to date have provided conflicting data.
Methods
We have completed rigorous functional testing of repopulating activity in parous mice using unfractionated and MaSC (CD24midCD49fhi)-enriched populations. We also developed a novel serial transplant method to enable us to assess self-renewal of MaSC following pregnancy. Lastly, as each pregnancy confers additional BCa protection, we subjected mice to multiple rounds of pregnancy to assess whether additional pregnancies impact MaSC activity.
Results
Here, we report that while repopulating activity in the mammary gland is reduced by parity in the unfractionated gland, it is not due to a loss in the classically defined MaSC (CD24+CD49fhi) numbers or function. Self-renewal was unaffected by parity and additional rounds of pregnancy also did not lead to a decrease in MaSC activity.
Conclusions
Our data show instead that parity impacts on the stem-like activity of cells outside the MaSC population.