Cells in malignant breast tumors are heterogeneous. Certain cells expressing specific cell surface markers are tumor-initiating (tumorigenic) cells, and other tumor cells are non-tumorigenic. These tumorigenic cells from breast cancer have been identified and isolated using animal models. It has been demonstrated for the first time, using breast cancer cells, that a subpopulation of this solid tumor behaves like cancer stem cells, and has the ability to replenish as well as to convert to diverse non-tumorigenic populations. The presence of these two subsets of cells within a tumor provides an explanation of a number of clinical observations in breast cancer patients. The identification of specific tumorigenic cell populations also has therapeutic implications.
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