Suppressed cytokine and chemokine transcriptional signatures in mammary stem/progenitor cells are associated with dietary protection against Wnt1-driven mammary tumorigenesis

Maintenance and propagation of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) is mediated via cytokine and growth factor networks. Direct in vivo linkage between dietary regulation of mammary stem (MaSC)/progenitor cell numbers and protection from breast cancer has not been reported. Here, we investigated the effect of post-weaning intake of soy protein isolate (SPI) relative to the control casein (CAS) diet on the stem/progenitor population and tumor formation in MMTV-Wnt1-Transgenic (Wnt1-Tg) female mice. Gene expression profile of the basal (MaSC-enriched) sub-population in preneoplastic Wnt1-Tg mice demonstrated a stem cell-like expression pattern and markedly suppressed expression of inflammatory cytokines, C-X-C family chemokines, and metastasis-associated genes with dietary SPI exposure. four Samples: two CAS diet, two SPI diet