Differential gene expression profile in breast cancer-derived stromal fibroblasts

Background: Breast cancer is chatacterized by malignant transformation of epithelial cells, but stromal cells also play an important role in tumorigenesis. While tumor-derived fibroblasts display unique phenotypic properties, it is unclear whether they also represent are a specific subpopulation. Materials and methods: Stromal fibroblasts deriving from malignant tissue of 10 women with invasive breast cancer, and from normal breast tissue of 10 women with benign breast disorders, were subjected to differential complementary DNA Microarray Analysis by using a 2400 gene cDNA array. Individual gene expression patte…