Expression of the pluripotency markers Oct3/4, Nanog and Sox2 in human breast cancer cell lines.

Previous studies have demonstrated that pluripotency-associated transcription factors, such as Oct3/4, Nanog and Sox2, play a crucial role in the development and malignant progression of various types of tumors. Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among females, being a heterogeneous disease, with distinct morphologies, metastatic behavior and therapeutic responses. The expression of Oct3/4, Nanog and Sox2 in 3 human breast cancer cell lines, MCF7, T-47D and MDA-MB-231, was determined.