Figure 3.
The origin of BCSCs. Numerous theories are prevalent regarding the origin of BCSCs. According to one theory, genetic and epigenetic alternations of non-stem cells within the TME cause the dedifferentiation of these cells into CSCs. A second theory suggests the presence of unipotent progenitor cells which accumulate mutations over time to give rise to CSCs. A third theory predicts that CSCs arise from multipotent mammary stem cells that have undergone mutational changes.