CD44 and cancer: Notably, c-Myc appears as a crucial factor linking normal and cancer stem cells in the mammary epithelium because induction of c-Myc and other induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) factors in non-tumorigenic MCF10A mammary epithelial cells transformed the cells into tumorigenic CD44+/CD24low cells with CSC properties and a malignant phenotype [42].