DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Immortalization of normal human mammary epithelial cells in two steps by direct targeting of senescence barriers does not require gross genomic alterations

Abstract

Telomerase reactivation and immortalization are critical for human carcinoma progression. However, little is known about the mechanisms controlling this crucial step, due in part to the paucity of experimentally tractable model systems that can examine human epithelial cell immortalization as it might occur in vivo. We achieved efficient non-clonal immortalization of normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) by directly targeting the 2 main senescence barriers encountered by cultured HMEC. The stress-associated stasis barrier was bypassed using shRNA to p16INK4; replicative senescence due to critically shortened telomeres was bypassed in post-stasis HMEC by c-MYC transduction. Thus, 2 pathologically relevant oncogenic agents are sufficient to immortally transform normal HMEC. The resultant non-clonal immortalized lines exhibited normal karyotypes. Most human carcinomas contain genomically unstable cells, with widespread instability first observed in vivo in pre-malignant stages; in vitro, instability is seen as finite cells with critically shortened telomeres approach replicative senescence. Our results support our hypotheses that: (1) telomere-dysfunction induced genomic instability in pre-malignant finite cells may generate the errors required for telomerase reactivation and immortalization, as well as many additional “passenger” errors carried forward into resulting carcinomas; (2) genomic instability during cancer progression is needed to generate errors that overcome tumor suppressive barriers,more » but not required per se; bypassing the senescence barriers by direct targeting eliminated a need for genomic errors to generate immortalization. Achieving efficient HMEC immortalization, in the absence of “passenger” genomic errors, should facilitate examination of telomerase regulation during human carcinoma progression, and exploration of agents that could prevent immortalization.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [2];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [7]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, (United States), Life Sciences Division
  2. Arizona Cancer Center; The University of Arizona; Tucson, AZ USA
  3. Department of Pathology; The University of Arizona College of Medicine; Tucson, AZ USA
  4. Department of Pathology; The University of Arizona College of Medicine; Tucson, AZ USA;
  5. Case Comprehensive Cancer Center; Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland, OH USA
  6. 7 University of California San Francisco; San Francisco, CA USA
  7. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, (United States), Life Sciences Division; 2 Arizona Cancer Center; The University of Arizona; Tucson, AZ USA
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1220569
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex); Journal Volume: 13; Journal Issue: 21; Journal ID: ISSN 1538-4101
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; carcinogenesis; c-Myc; genomic instability; human mammary epithelial cells; immortalization; p16INK4a; senescence; telomerase

Citation Formats

Garbe, James C., Vrba, Lukas, Sputova, Klara, Fuchs, Laura, Novak, Petr, Brothman, Arthur R., Jackson, Mark, Chin, Koei, LaBarge, Mark A., Watts, George, Futscher, Bernard W., and Stampfer, Martha R. Immortalization of normal human mammary epithelial cells in two steps by direct targeting of senescence barriers does not require gross genomic alterations. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.4161/15384101.2014.954456.
Garbe, James C., Vrba, Lukas, Sputova, Klara, Fuchs, Laura, Novak, Petr, Brothman, Arthur R., Jackson, Mark, Chin, Koei, LaBarge, Mark A., Watts, George, Futscher, Bernard W., & Stampfer, Martha R. Immortalization of normal human mammary epithelial cells in two steps by direct targeting of senescence barriers does not require gross genomic alterations. United States. https://doi.org/10.4161/15384101.2014.954456
Garbe, James C., Vrba, Lukas, Sputova, Klara, Fuchs, Laura, Novak, Petr, Brothman, Arthur R., Jackson, Mark, Chin, Koei, LaBarge, Mark A., Watts, George, Futscher, Bernard W., and Stampfer, Martha R. Wed . "Immortalization of normal human mammary epithelial cells in two steps by direct targeting of senescence barriers does not require gross genomic alterations". United States. https://doi.org/10.4161/15384101.2014.954456. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1220569.
@article{osti_1220569,
title = {Immortalization of normal human mammary epithelial cells in two steps by direct targeting of senescence barriers does not require gross genomic alterations},
author = {Garbe, James C. and Vrba, Lukas and Sputova, Klara and Fuchs, Laura and Novak, Petr and Brothman, Arthur R. and Jackson, Mark and Chin, Koei and LaBarge, Mark A. and Watts, George and Futscher, Bernard W. and Stampfer, Martha R.},
abstractNote = {Telomerase reactivation and immortalization are critical for human carcinoma progression. However, little is known about the mechanisms controlling this crucial step, due in part to the paucity of experimentally tractable model systems that can examine human epithelial cell immortalization as it might occur in vivo. We achieved efficient non-clonal immortalization of normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) by directly targeting the 2 main senescence barriers encountered by cultured HMEC. The stress-associated stasis barrier was bypassed using shRNA to p16INK4; replicative senescence due to critically shortened telomeres was bypassed in post-stasis HMEC by c-MYC transduction. Thus, 2 pathologically relevant oncogenic agents are sufficient to immortally transform normal HMEC. The resultant non-clonal immortalized lines exhibited normal karyotypes. Most human carcinomas contain genomically unstable cells, with widespread instability first observed in vivo in pre-malignant stages; in vitro, instability is seen as finite cells with critically shortened telomeres approach replicative senescence. Our results support our hypotheses that: (1) telomere-dysfunction induced genomic instability in pre-malignant finite cells may generate the errors required for telomerase reactivation and immortalization, as well as many additional “passenger” errors carried forward into resulting carcinomas; (2) genomic instability during cancer progression is needed to generate errors that overcome tumor suppressive barriers, but not required per se; bypassing the senescence barriers by direct targeting eliminated a need for genomic errors to generate immortalization. Achieving efficient HMEC immortalization, in the absence of “passenger” genomic errors, should facilitate examination of telomerase regulation during human carcinoma progression, and exploration of agents that could prevent immortalization.},
doi = {10.4161/15384101.2014.954456},
journal = {Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex)},
number = 21,
volume = 13,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Wed Oct 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 43 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share:

Works referenced in this record:

Distinct tumor suppressor mechanisms evolve in rodent species that differ in size and lifespan
journal, December 2008


In situ analyses of genome instability in breast cancer
journal, August 2004

  • Chin, Koei; de Solorzano, Carlos Ortiz; Knowles, David
  • Nature Genetics, Vol. 36, Issue 9
  • DOI: 10.1038/ng1409

Induction of transformation and continuous cell lines from normal human mammary epithelial cells after exposure to benzo[a]pyrene.
journal, April 1985

  • Stampfer, M. R.; Bartley, J. C.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 82, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.82.8.2394

Loss of p53 function accelerates acquisition of telomerase activity in indefinite lifespan human mammary epithelial cell lines
journal, August 2003

  • Stampfer, Martha R.; Garbe, James; Nijjar, Tarlochan
  • Oncogene, Vol. 22, Issue 34
  • DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1206667

Raf-1-induced growth arrest in human mammary epithelial cells is p16-independent and is overcome in immortal cells during conversion
journal, September 2002


Increased p16 expression with first senescence arrest in human mammary epithelial cells and extended growth capacity with p16 inactivation
journal, July 1998

  • Brenner, Andrew J.; Stampfer, Martha R.; Aldaz, C. Marcelo
  • Oncogene, Vol. 17, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1201919

Normal human mammary epithelial cells spontaneously escape senescence and acquire genomic changes
journal, February 2001

  • Romanov, Serguei R.; Kozakiewicz, B. Krystyna; Holst, Charles R.
  • Nature, Vol. 409, Issue 6820
  • DOI: 10.1038/35054579

Gradual Phenotypic Conversion Associated with Immortalization of Cultured Human Mammary Epithelial Cells
journal, December 1997

  • Stampfer, Martha R.; Bodnar, Andrea; Garbe, James
  • Molecular Biology of the Cell, Vol. 8, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.1091/mbc.8.12.2391

Breast Cancer: Cellular and Molecular Biology
book, January 1988


Serum-free growth of human mammary epithelial cells: rapid clonal growth in defined medium and extended serial passage with pituitary extract.
journal, September 1984

  • Hammond, S. L.; Ham, R. G.; Stampfer, M. R.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 81, Issue 17
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.81.17.5435

Both Rb/p16INK4a inactivation and telomerase activity are required to immortalize human epithelial cells
journal, November 1998

  • Kiyono, Tohru; Foster, Scott A.; Koop, Jenn I.
  • Nature, Vol. 396, Issue 6706
  • DOI: 10.1038/23962

Expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit, hTERT, induces resistance to transforming growth factor β growth inhibition in p16INK4A(−) human mammary epithelial cells
journal, April 2001

  • Stampfer, M. R.; Garbe, J.; Levine, G.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 98, Issue 8, p. 4498-4503
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.071483998

Viral oncogenes accelerate conversion to immortality of cultured conditionally immortal human mammary epithelial cells
journal, April 1999


MYC on the Path to Cancer
journal, March 2012


Differential Effects on ARF Stability by Normal versus Oncogenic Levels of c-Myc Expression
journal, July 2013


Distinct Thresholds Govern Myc's Biological Output In Vivo
journal, December 2008


Genomic and transcriptional aberrations linked to breast cancer pathophysiologies
journal, December 2006


In Brief
journal, October 2009

  • Yates, Darran; Whalley, Katherine
  • Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Vol. 10, Issue 10, p. 697-697
  • DOI: 10.1038/nrn2731

A Chromatin Landmark and Transcription Initiation at Most Promoters in Human Cells
journal, July 2007


Cell type-specific DNA methylation patterns in the human breast
journal, September 2008

  • Bloushtain-Qimron, N.; Yao, J.; Snyder, E. L.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 105, Issue 37
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0805206105

Cellular and genetic diversity in the progression of in situ human breast carcinomas to an invasive phenotype
journal, February 2010

  • Park, So Yeon; Gönen, Mithat; Kim, Hee Jung
  • Journal of Clinical Investigation, Vol. 120, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1172/JCI40724

A Two-Stage, p16INK4A- and p53-Dependent Keratinocyte Senescence Mechanism That Limits Replicative Potential Independent of Telomere Status
journal, July 2002


The alternative lengthening of telomeres phenotype in breast carcinoma is associated with HER-2 overexpression
journal, September 2009

  • Subhawong, Andrea Proctor; Heaphy, Christopher M.; Argani, Pedram
  • Modern Pathology, Vol. 22, Issue 11
  • DOI: 10.1038/modpathol.2009.125

Early Telomere Shortening and Genomic Instability in Tubo-Ovarian Preneoplastic Lesions
journal, April 2013


Telomerase beyond telomeres
journal, August 2002

  • Blasco, María A.
  • Nature Reviews Cancer, Vol. 2, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1038/nrc862

Differential cis-regulation of human versus mouse TERT gene expression in vivo: Identification of a human-specific repressive element
journal, December 2005

  • Horikawa, I.; Chiang, Y. J.; Patterson, T.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 102, Issue 51
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0508964102

Telomere dysfunction provokes regional amplification and deletion in cancer genomes
journal, August 2002


p16 INK4a Modulates p53 in Primary Human Mammary Epithelial Cells
journal, November 2006


Defining the cellular precursors to human breast cancer
journal, September 2011

  • Keller, P. J.; Arendt, L. M.; Skibinski, A.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 109, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1017626108

Aberrant luminal progenitors as the candidate target population for basal tumor development in BRCA1 mutation carriers
journal, August 2009

  • Lim, Elgene; Vaillant, François; Wu, Di
  • Nature Medicine, Vol. 15, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1038/nm.2000

BRCA1 Basal-like Breast Cancers Originate from Luminal Epithelial Progenitors and Not from Basal Stem Cells
journal, September 2010


Genetic Predisposition Directs Breast Cancer Phenotype by Dictating Progenitor Cell Fate
journal, February 2011


Accumulation of Multipotent Progenitors with a Basal Differentiation Bias during Aging of Human Mammary Epithelia
journal, May 2012


The Genomic Landscapes of Human Breast and Colorectal Cancers
journal, November 2007


Human cancers express mutator phenotypes: origin, consequences and targeting
journal, May 2011

  • Loeb, Lawrence A.
  • Nature Reviews Cancer, Vol. 11, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1038/nrc3063

Genomic instability — an evolving hallmark of cancer
journal, March 2010

  • Negrini, Simona; Gorgoulis, Vassilis G.; Halazonetis, Thanos D.
  • Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Vol. 11, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1038/nrm2858

Aneuploidy Drives a Mutator Phenotype in Cancer
journal, August 2011


From polyploidy to aneuploidy, genome instability and cancer
journal, January 2004

  • Storchova, Zuzana; Pellman, David
  • Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Vol. 5, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1038/nrm1276

Telomere dysfunction drives chromosomal instability in human mammary epithelial cells
journal, December 2005

  • Soler, David; Genescà, Anna; Arnedo, Gema
  • Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer, Vol. 44, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.1002/gcc.20244

Progressive Telomere Dysfunction Causes Cytokinesis Failure and Leads to the Accumulation of Polyploid Cells
journal, April 2012


Tumour markers in breast carcinoma correlate with grade rather than with invasiveness
journal, September 2001

  • Wärnberg, F.; Nordgren, H.; Bergkvist, L.
  • British Journal of Cancer, Vol. 85, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1054/bjoc.2001.1995

PIK3CA Mutations in In situ and Invasive Breast Carcinomas
journal, June 2010


Gene expression profiles of human breast cancer progression
journal, April 2003

  • Ma, X. -J.; Salunga, R.; Tuggle, J. T.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 100, Issue 10
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0931261100

What is the malignant nature of human ductal carcinoma in situ?
journal, December 2010

  • Espina, Virginia; Liotta, Lance A.
  • Nature Reviews Cancer, Vol. 11, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1038/nrc2950

TGF-  signaling engages an ATM-CHK2-p53-independent RAS-induced senescence and prevents malignant transformation in human mammary epithelial cells
journal, May 2011

  • Cipriano, R.; Kan, C. E.; Graham, J.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 108, Issue 21
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1015022108

BORIS/CTCFL-mediated transcriptional regulation of the hTERT telomerase gene in testicular and ovarian tumor cells
journal, September 2010

  • Renaud, S.; Loukinov, D.; Alberti, L.
  • Nucleic Acids Research, Vol. 39, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkq827

Rb-Mediated Heterochromatin Formation and Silencing of E2F Target Genes during Cellular Senescence
journal, June 2003


Chimaeras of Myc oncoprotein and steroid receptors cause hormone-dependent transformation of cells
journal, July 1989

  • Eilers, Martin; Picard, Didier; Yamamoto, Keith R.
  • Nature, Vol. 340, Issue 6228
  • DOI: 10.1038/340066a0

Dissociation among in vitro telomerase activity, telomere maintenance, and cellular immortalization
journal, December 1998

  • Counter, C. M.; Hahn, W. C.; Wei, W.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 95, Issue 25
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.95.25.14723

Epigenetic regulation of normal human mammary cell type-specific miRNAs
journal, August 2011


Telomeres, telomerase and senescence
journal, August 1990


Telomere dysfunction drives chromosomal instability in human mammary epithelial cells
journal, December 2005

  • Soler, David; Genescà, Anna; Arnedo, Gema
  • Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer, Vol. 44, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.1002/gcc.20244

Genomic and transcriptional aberrations linked to breast cancer pathophysiologies
journal, December 2006


A Chromatin Landmark and Transcription Initiation at Most Promoters in Human Cells
journal, July 2007


MYC on the Path to Cancer
journal, March 2012


Differential Effects on ARF Stability by Normal versus Oncogenic Levels of c-Myc Expression
journal, July 2013


BRCA1 Basal-like Breast Cancers Originate from Luminal Epithelial Progenitors and Not from Basal Stem Cells
journal, September 2010


Genetic Predisposition Directs Breast Cancer Phenotype by Dictating Progenitor Cell Fate
journal, February 2011


Telomere Shortening Occurs Early During Breast Tumorigenesis: A Cause of Chromosome Destabilization Underlying Malignant Transformation?
journal, July 2004


Both Rb/p16INK4a inactivation and telomerase activity are required to immortalize human epithelial cells
journal, November 1998

  • Kiyono, Tohru; Foster, Scott A.; Koop, Jenn I.
  • Nature, Vol. 396, Issue 6706
  • DOI: 10.1038/23962

Normal human mammary epithelial cells spontaneously escape senescence and acquire genomic changes
journal, February 2001

  • Romanov, Serguei R.; Kozakiewicz, B. Krystyna; Holst, Charles R.
  • Nature, Vol. 409, Issue 6820
  • DOI: 10.1038/35054579

In situ analyses of genome instability in breast cancer
journal, August 2004

  • Chin, Koei; de Solorzano, Carlos Ortiz; Knowles, David
  • Nature Genetics, Vol. 36, Issue 9
  • DOI: 10.1038/ng1409

What is the malignant nature of human ductal carcinoma in situ?
journal, December 2010

  • Espina, Virginia; Liotta, Lance A.
  • Nature Reviews Cancer, Vol. 11, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1038/nrc2950

Telomerase beyond telomeres
journal, August 2002

  • Blasco, María A.
  • Nature Reviews Cancer, Vol. 2, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1038/nrc862

From polyploidy to aneuploidy, genome instability and cancer
journal, January 2004

  • Storchova, Zuzana; Pellman, David
  • Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Vol. 5, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1038/nrm1276

Mechanisms of Polycomb gene silencing: knowns and unknowns
journal, September 2009

  • Simon, Jeffrey A.; Kingston, Robert E.
  • Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Vol. 10, Issue 10
  • DOI: 10.1038/nrm2763

Genomic instability — an evolving hallmark of cancer
journal, March 2010

  • Negrini, Simona; Gorgoulis, Vassilis G.; Halazonetis, Thanos D.
  • Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Vol. 11, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1038/nrm2858

Tumour markers in breast carcinoma correlate with grade rather than with invasiveness
journal, September 2001

  • Wärnberg, F.; Nordgren, H.; Bergkvist, L.
  • British Journal of Cancer, Vol. 85, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1054/bjoc.2001.1995

Differential cis-regulation of human versus mouse TERT gene expression in vivo: Identification of a human-specific repressive element
journal, December 2005

  • Horikawa, I.; Chiang, Y. J.; Patterson, T.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 102, Issue 51
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0508964102

Expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit, hTERT, induces resistance to transforming growth factor β growth inhibition in p16INK4A(−) human mammary epithelial cells
journal, April 2001

  • Stampfer, M. R.; Garbe, J.; Levine, G.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 98, Issue 8, p. 4498-4503
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.071483998

Defining the cellular precursors to human breast cancer
journal, September 2011

  • Keller, P. J.; Arendt, L. M.; Skibinski, A.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 109, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1017626108

Serum-free growth of human mammary epithelial cells: rapid clonal growth in defined medium and extended serial passage with pituitary extract.
journal, September 1984

  • Hammond, S. L.; Ham, R. G.; Stampfer, M. R.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 81, Issue 17
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.81.17.5435

Induction of transformation and continuous cell lines from normal human mammary epithelial cells after exposure to benzo[a]pyrene.
journal, April 1985

  • Stampfer, M. R.; Bartley, J. C.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 82, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.82.8.2394

Dissociation among in vitro telomerase activity, telomere maintenance, and cellular immortalization
journal, December 1998

  • Counter, C. M.; Hahn, W. C.; Wei, W.
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 95, Issue 25
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.95.25.14723

Gradual Phenotypic Conversion Associated with Immortalization of Cultured Human Mammary Epithelial Cells
journal, December 1997

  • Stampfer, Martha R.; Bodnar, Andrea; Garbe, James
  • Molecular Biology of the Cell, Vol. 8, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.1091/mbc.8.12.2391

BORIS/CTCFL-mediated transcriptional regulation of the hTERT telomerase gene in testicular and ovarian tumor cells
journal, September 2010

  • Renaud, S.; Loukinov, D.; Alberti, L.
  • Nucleic Acids Research, Vol. 39, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkq827

The replicometer is broken: telomeres activate cellular senescence in response to genotoxic stresses
journal, July 2014


Distinct tumor suppressor mechanisms evolve in rodent species that differ in size and lifespan
journal, December 2008


The Genomic Landscapes of Human Breast and Colorectal Cancers
journal, November 2007


Aneuploidy Drives a Mutator Phenotype in Cancer
journal, August 2011


Early Telomere Shortening and Genomic Instability in Tubo-Ovarian Preneoplastic Lesions—Response
journal, September 2013


The role of genetic diversity in cancer
journal, February 2010

  • Merlo, Lauren M. F.; Maley, Carlo C.
  • Journal of Clinical Investigation, Vol. 120, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1172/jci42088

Progressive Telomere Dysfunction Causes Cytokinesis Failure and Leads to the Accumulation of Polyploid Cells
journal, April 2012


Works referencing / citing this record:

Hit-and-run epigenetic editing prevents senescence entry in primary breast cells from healthy donors
journal, November 2017


Inhibition of nucleotide synthesis promotes replicative senescence of human mammary epithelial cells
journal, May 2019

  • Delfarah, Alireza; Parrish, Sydney; Junge, Jason A.
  • Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 294, Issue 27
  • DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.005806

A lincRNA connected to cell mortality and epigenetically-silenced in most common human cancers
journal, October 2015


Superresolution microscopy reveals linkages between ribosomal DNA on heterologous chromosomes
journal, July 2019

  • Potapova, Tamara A.; Unruh, Jay R.; Yu, Zulin
  • The Journal of Cell Biology, Vol. 218, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201810166

Quantification of somatic mutation flow across individual cell division events by lineage sequencing
journal, November 2018

  • Brody, Yehuda; Kimmerling, Robert J.; Maruvka, Yosef E.
  • Genome Research, Vol. 28, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.1101/gr.238543.118

Experimental identification of cancer driver alterations in the era of pan‐cancer genomics
journal, October 2019

  • Korenjak, Michael; Zavadil, Jiri
  • Cancer Science, Vol. 110, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.1111/cas.14210

The senescent methylome and its relationship with cancer, ageing and germline genetic variation in humans
journal, September 2015


Different culture media modulate growth, heterogeneity, and senescence in human mammary epithelial cell cultures
journal, October 2018


Establishment of immortalized primary cell from the critically endangered Bonin flying fox (Pteropus pselaphon)
journal, August 2019


The challenges of modeling hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in mice
journal, May 2018

  • Özdemir, Berna C.; Sflomos, George; Brisken, Cathrin
  • Endocrine-Related Cancer, Vol. 25, Issue 5
  • DOI: 10.1530/erc-18-0063

Generation of Immortalised But Unstable Cells after hTERT Introduction in Telomere-Compromised and p53-Deficient vHMECs
journal, July 2018

  • Bernal, Aina; Zafon, Elisenda; Domínguez, Daniel
  • International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol. 19, Issue 7
  • DOI: 10.3390/ijms19072078

High-Dimensional Phenotyping Identifies Age-Emergent Cells in Human Mammary Epithelia
journal, April 2018


Characterizing cellular mechanical phenotypes with mechano-node-pore sensing
journal, March 2018


Hit-and-run epigenetic editing prevents senescence entry in primary breast cells from healthy donors
journal, November 2017


Proof of region-specific multipotent progenitors in human breast epithelia
journal, November 2017

  • Fridriksdottir, Agla J.; Villadsen, René; Morsing, Mikkel
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 114, Issue 47
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1714063114

Inhibition of nucleotide synthesis promotes replicative senescence of human mammary epithelial cells
journal, May 2019

  • Delfarah, Alireza; Parrish, Sydney; Junge, Jason A.
  • Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 294, Issue 27
  • DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.005806

A lincRNA connected to cell mortality and epigenetically-silenced in most common human cancers
journal, October 2015


Experimental identification of cancer driver alterations in the era of pan‐cancer genomics
journal, October 2019

  • Korenjak, Michael; Zavadil, Jiri
  • Cancer Science, Vol. 110, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.1111/cas.14210

The senescent methylome and its relationship with cancer, ageing and germline genetic variation in humans
journal, September 2015


Different culture media modulate growth, heterogeneity, and senescence in human mammary epithelial cell cultures
journal, October 2018


Correction: Establishment of immortalized primary cell from the critically endangered Bonin flying fox (Pteropus pselaphon)
journal, May 2020


The New Immortalized Uroepithelial Cell Line HBLAK Contains Defined Genetic Aberrations Typical of Early Stage Urothelial Tumors
journal, October 2016

  • Hoffmann, Michèle J.; Koutsogiannouli, Evangelia; Skowron, Margaretha A.
  • Bladder Cancer, Vol. 2, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.3233/blc-160065

Comparison of methods for the isolation of human breast epithelial and myoepithelial cells
journal, May 2015

  • Zubeldia-Plazaola, Arantzazu; Ametller, Elisabet; Mancino, Mario
  • Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, Vol. 3
  • DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2015.00032

Breast Tissue Biology Expands the Possibilities for Prevention of Age-Related Breast Cancers
journal, August 2019

  • Fresques, Tara; Zirbes, Arrianna; Shalabi, Sundus
  • Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, Vol. 7
  • DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00174

The Quest for Targets Executing MYC-Dependent Cell Transformation
journal, June 2016


Generation of Immortalised But Unstable Cells after hTERT Introduction in Telomere-Compromised and p53-Deficient vHMECs
journal, July 2018

  • Bernal, Aina; Zafon, Elisenda; Domínguez, Daniel
  • International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol. 19, Issue 7
  • DOI: 10.3390/ijms19072078

Genomic Changes in Normal Breast Tissue in Women at Normal Risk or at High Risk for Breast Cancer
journal, January 2016


Evidence for immortality and autonomy in animal cancer models is often not provided, which causes confusion on key issues of cancer biology
journal, January 2020

  • Dou, Xixi; Tong, Pingzhen; Huang, Hai
  • Journal of Cancer, Vol. 11, Issue 10
  • DOI: 10.7150/jca.41324