Profiling of normal and malignant breast tissue show CD44high/CD24lowphenotype as a predominant stem/progenitor marker when used in combination with Ep-CAM/CD49f markers

Table 3 Characterization of Ep-CAM/CD49f populations and the stem/progenitor cell markers they express

Population	Lineage	Mammosphere formation	Has colony forming cells	Expressed "stem cell" markers
Population	Lineage	Mammosphere formation	Has colony forming cells	ALDH	CD10	CD44^high/CD24^low	Ep-CAM+/MUC-1^neg
Ep-CAM^neg/CD49f^neg	Mesenchymal	√	√	+++	++	+++	-
Ep-CAM^high/CD49f^neg	Luminal	NO	NO	-	-	+	+
Ep-CAM^high/CD49f+	Luminal	√	√	+++	-	+	+++
Ep-CAM^low/CD49f+	Myoepithelial	√	√	-	+++	++	++

ISSN: 1471-2407