How breast cancer usurps powers of mammary stem cells

During pregnancy, certain hormones trigger specialized mammary stem cells to create milk-producing cells essential to lactation. Scientists have found that mammary stem cells associated with the pregnant mammary gland are related to stem cells found in breast cancer. "By understanding a fundamental mechanism of mammary gland development during pregnancy, we have gained a rare insight into how aggressive breast cancer might be treated," said the lead author.
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - Category: Science Source Type: news