The role of ROMA a novel transcriptional regulator in mammary lineage determination.

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Stem cells are required in adult tissues to provide new cells to replace those that are damaged or destroyed. For example, skin and gut cells are replaced on a daily basis and liver and bone cells can be replaced following injury. Stem cells provide a reservoir of cells that last for the lifetime of the animal or person and are used to provide the progenitor cells that divide rapidly to replace these lost or damaged cells. One feature of adult stem cells is that they divide very infrequently and are usually found in specific parts of the tissue. In the breast, stem cells are known to exist and may be the cells that become breast tumours. However, it is not known where the breast stem cells are located although new techniques have allowed these cells to be highly enriched, thus allowing their study. We have recently shown that specific secreted factors called cytokines can influence how stem and progenitor cells grow during pregnancy to provide the large increase in secretory milk-producing alveolar cells that are required for lactation. During our studies, we identified a novel protein that we have named ROMA. We hypothesise that ROMA may be a master regulator of mammary stem cells. The main objective of this project is to characterise ROMA further and investigate its role in the development of the mammary gland during pregnancy. We will also identify genes that are regulated by ROMA. This project should provide essential information on how stem cells are maintained and induced to become more differentiated cells. This will have major implications for stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine and for understanding diseases that arise from stem cell failure.