Determinants of Human Breast Epithelial Cell Estrogen Receptor Expression and Differentiation: Organization and Environment

摘要

Breast cancer presumably originates in an estrogen receptor-positive (ER +), estrogen (E2)-responsive epithelial cell within organized human breast tissue. It is a paradox that there is an exceedingly low level of, and few cells expressing, ER in normal breast tissue, and human breast epithelial cell lines (HBE-CL) lack ER and do not respond to E2. Our hypothesis is that human breast parenchymal epithelial cell-cell interactions and epithelial stromal interactions are critical in vitro determinants of HBE cell ER expression and biochemical differentiation.