HCC1937/wt BRCA1 cells showed the presence of a distinct CD44high/24–population (3.07 ± 1.12 %) within its CD44+/24–/low (30.6 ± 5.0 %) putative cancer stem cell population (Fig. 2a, Additional file 1: Figure S1). The gene discussed is BRCA1; the disease is cancer.