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PMID: 14635792 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Review

Role of homeobox genes in normal mammary gland development and breast tumorigenesis.

Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia ·Vol. 8 ·No. 2 ·2003-04-00 ·Pages 159-75

Chen H, Sukumar S

Abstract

The role of homeobox-containing genes in embryogenesis and organogenesis is well documented. Also, a sizeable body of evidence has accumulated and supports the fact that homeobox genes, when dysregulated, are involved in tumorigenesis. However, the precise mechanisms of homeobox gene functions are largely unknown. The mammary gland, in which most maturation occurs postnatally, provides an ideal model for studying the functions of homeobox genes in both development and tumorigenesis. The expression of many homeobox genes has been detected in both normal mammary gland and neoplastic breast tissues. In the normal mammary gland, the expression of homeobox genes is coordinately regulated by hormone and extracellular matrix (ECM) and other unknown factors in a spatial and temporal manner in both stromal and epithelial cells. Animals with misexpressed homeobox genes displayed different extents of defects in ductal proliferation, side branching, and alveoli formation, implying that homeobox genes are important for normal mammary gland development. Recent studies of homeobox genes in breast cancer cells and primary tumors indicate that they may also play a contributory or causal role in tumorigenesis by regulating the cell cycle, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and/or metastasis.

MeSH Terms
Animals Apoptosis Breast Neoplasms/genetics Cell Cycle Cell Differentiation Cell Division Extracellular Matrix/metabolism Female Genes, Homeobox Humans Mammary Glands, Animal/embryology Mammary Glands, Human/embryology Mammary Neoplasms, Animal/genetics Mice Models, Biological Models, Genetic Neoplasm Metastasis Neovascularization, Pathologic Time Factors
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Chen Hexin
Breast Cancer Program, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Sukumar Saraswati
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Article Info
Journal
Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia
Abbr.
J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia
ISSN
1083-3021
DOI
10.1023/a:1025996707117
Published
2003-04-00
Pages
159-75
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
9601804
Subset
IM
Grants
NCI NIH HHS · CA88843 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1023/a:1025996707117 View journal details
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