Comparison of mammosphere formation from stem-like cells of normal breast, malignant primary breast tumors, and MCF-7 cell line.

Background: Mammosphere formation assay has become a versatile tool to quantify the activity of putative breast cancer stem cells in non-adherent in vitro cultures. However, optimizing the suspension culture system is crucial to establish mammosphere cultures from primary breast tumors.

Methods: This study aimed at determining the self-renewal and sphere-forming potential of breast cancer stem-like cells derived from human primary invasive ductal carcinoma and normal breast tissue samples, and MCF-7 breast cancer cell line using an optimal suspension culture system.