Heterogeneity of BCSCs contributes to the metastatic organotropism of breast cancer

• Published in: Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research Vol. 40; no. 1; p. 370
• Main Authors: Wang, Cenzhu, Xu, Kun, Wang, Runtian, Han, Xin, Tang, Jinhai, Guan, Xiaoxiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 20.11.2021; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Breast cancer; Breast cancer stem cell; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemotherapy; Development and progression; Female; Gene expression; Heterogeneity; Humans; Kinases; Liver; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Metastasis; Metastatic organotropism; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplastic Stem Cells - pathology; Review; Seed and soil; Stem cells; Tumors; Heterogeneity; Seed and soil; Breast cancer; Breast cancer stem cell; Metastatic organotropism
• ISSN: 1756-9966; 0392-9078; 1756-9966
• DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02164-6

Breast cancer is one of the most-common female malignancies with a high risk of relapse and distant metastasis. The distant metastasis of breast cancer exhibits organotropism, including brain, lung, liver and bone. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are a small population of breast cancer cells with tumor-initiating ability, which participate in regulating distant metastasis in breast cancer. We investigated the heterogeneity of BCSCs according to biomarker status, epithelial or mesenchymal status and other factors. Based on the classical "seed and soil" theory, we explored the effect of BCSCs on the metastatic organotropism in breast cancer at both "seed" and "soil" levels, with BCSCs as the "seed" and BCSCs-related microenvironment as the "soil". We also summarized current clinical trials, which assessed the safety and efficacy of BCSCs-related therapies. Understanding the role of BCSCs heterogeneity for regulating metastatic organotropism in breast cancer would provide a new insight for the diagnosis and treatment of advanced metastatic breast cancer.