Budget Amount *help |
¥5,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2011: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
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Research Abstract |
Growing evidence suggests that development of breast cancer is originated from cancer stem cells, which can be isolated by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity-based flow cytometry analysis. However, the growth regulation of cancer stem cells has not been fully understood. In the present study, we found that estrogen increased the size of ALDH-positive cell population in MCF-7 cells. The effect of estrogen was inhibited by the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist ICI182780. We next examined the downstream pathway from the ER. A selective NOS inhibitor inhibited the effect of estrogen on NO production and the size of ALDH-positive cell population. In addition, 8-Br-cGMP mimicked the effect of estrogen. Taken together, these data suggest the estrogen expands breast cancer stem cells through the NO/cGMP signaling pathway.
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