《生命科学》 2016, 28(8): 856-861
摘 要：摘 要：乳腺干细胞对组织自稳态的维持和乳腺癌的发生有至关重要的作用，然而人们对乳腺干细胞的了解仍然非常贫乏。三阴性( 雌激素、孕激素、生长素受体阴性) 乳腺癌是源于干细胞的乳腺病变，由于没有已知的分子标记，至今临床治疗上没有有效的干预手段。以中国科学院干细胞先导专项为依托，曾艺实验室开展了系统的研究，获得了一系列前沿性进展：发现了乳腺干细胞赖以自我更新的关键微环境因子，建立并优化了能够筛选乳腺干细胞关键基因的体外培养体系；发现了乳腺干细胞的表面特异标记分子，探索了乳腺干细胞性质及其与三阴性乳腺癌病变的关系，为乳腺癌的靶向治疗提供了潜在的新靶点和理论基础。主要对干细胞先导专项中曾艺实验室的原创性工作进行综述。
Abstract: Abstract: Mammary stem cells (MaSCs) play pivotal roles in mammary homeostasis and breast cancer， yet the nature and properties of MaSCs are remained elusive. Triple-Negative Breast Cancers (TNBCs) are clinically defined by the lack of expression of estrogen receptor (ER)， progesterone receptor (PR)， and the absence of amplification or overexpression of HER2. Treatment of TNBC patients has been challenging due to the absence of well-defined molecular targets. Supported by grants from the “Strategic Priority Research Program” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences， we have carried out a systemic research centering on mammary stem cells. We identify the essential niche signals that MaSCs are dependent on， establish MaSCs in vitro culture system that allows screening of MaSCs key factors， identify MaSCs novel surface marker， investigate the properties of MaSCs and explore their relevance in TNBC tumorigenesis. These studies have led to a better understanding of MaSCs and breast cancers，providing novel strategy for potential TNBC cancer treatment. In this article， we summarize our original works funded by the “Strategic Priority Research Program”.
