Breast Cancer Stem Cell Analysis
Breast cancer stem cell analysis focuses on identifying and characterizing tumor cell populations with stem-like properties, which are crucial for tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Understanding these cells is vital for developing effective treatment strategies. Alfa Cytology offers a comprehensive suite of breast cancer stem cell analysis services.
Introduction to Breast Cancer Stem Cell
Breast cancer (BC) is one of the leading killers of women worldwide. Within breast tumors, a small population of transformed cells responsible for drug resistance, survival, and metastasis are termed breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). Several experimental lines of evidence indicate that BCSCs influence immune cell function. They evade immune surveillance by changing the characteristics of immune cells and modulating the tumor landscape into an immunosuppressive type. They can expertly transition from a quiescent phase (slow cycling) to an actively proliferating phenotype with a high degree of plasticity. The potential role of BCSCs in tumorigenesis and recurrence has been confirmed, and due to their strong self-renewal and differentiation abilities, BCSCs are the main cause of poor clinical outcomes and low therapeutic response.
Fig.1 Biological Behavior of BCSCs. (Zhang L, et al., 2023)
Our Services
The study of BCSCs requires the use of cellular and molecular tools to monitor the genomic integrity of cells and track the expression of proteins associated with pluripotency. Confirm differentiation status by analyzing key genetic and protein markers to ensure the correct cell type is identified and propagated.
Alfa Cytology can provide the right services for your research：
| Services | Description |
|---|---|
| Stem cell culture | We mainly use fluorescence-activated cell sorting and magnetic bead cell sorting technology to sort BCSCs. |
| Stem cell analysis | Adaptation of any cell type to culture conditions and maintenance of culture will alter the population. As cells divide and are passaged, the composition of the population changes due to selective pressure on the cells. In addition, cells that grow and divide faster will dominate, gradually changing the composition of the stem cell population in the culture. Therefore, stem cell cultures must be regularly evaluated for changes in morphology, karyotype, and differentiation capacity. Our genetic characterization techniques for stem cells include karyotyping, single nucleotide polymorphism analysis, epigenetic analysis, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry, RT-qPCR, digital PCR, western blot, biomarker analysis and teratoma formation. |
Applications of Stem Cell Research
With their ability to self-renew and differentiate into mature cell types, stem cells are an active and growing area of basic science and clinical research. Existing clinical applications of stem cells include neurological and cardiovascular disease treatment options, autoimmune diseases, cancer, wound healing, disease modeling and drug screening.
Alfa Cytology boasts extensive expertise in BC research garnered over many years. We are committed to continuous innovation, perpetually exploring improved solutions for our clientele, and ensuring the delivery of top-notch products and services. If you are interested in learning more about our BC stem cell analysis, please don't hesitate to contact us. Our dedicated and knowledgeable staff will promptly get in touch with you.
Reference
- Zhang L, et al. Targeting Breast Cancer Stem Cells. Int J Biol Sci. 2023 Jan 1;19(2):552-570.