Small interfering RNA library screen identified polo-like kinase-1 (PLK1) as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer that uniquely eliminates tumor-initiating cells

Abstract

Inhibiting PLK1 with siRNA or BI 2536 blocked growth of TNBCs including the CD44high/CD24-/low TIC subpopulation and mammosphere formation. Thus, PLK1 could be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of TNBC as well as other subtypes of breast cancer.