EpCAM overexpression prolongs proliferative capacity of primary human breast epithelial cells and supports hyperplastic growth.

Introduction: The Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) has been shown to be strongly expressed in human breast cancer and cancer stem cells and its overexpression has been supposed to support tumor progression and metastasis. However, effects of EpCAM overexpression on normal breast epithelial cells have never been studied before. Therefore, we analyzed effects of transient adenoviral overexpression of EpCAM on proliferation, migration and differentiation of primary human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs).

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Martowicz A, Rainer J, Lelong J, Spizzo G, Gastl G, Untergasser G