ast Cancer Stem Cells: Something Out of Notching?

Downlo and others have established that the developmental Notch receptor signaling pathway is active in breast cell lines, as well as in preinvasive and invasive primary samples. Recently, a role for Notch in regulating rarchy of stem and progenitor cells in both normal and cancer epithelium has been elucidated. Because ing the Notch receptor signaling pathway is a possible future breast cancer therapy, here, we review the sion and activity of the different ligands and receptors and summarize the various ways in which the expres pathway's activity can be inhibited, and the likely effects of inhibition on different tumor cell subpopulations. Cancer Res; 70(22); 8973–6. ©2010 AACR.