Mammary gland development occurs mainly after birth and is composed of three successive stages: puberty, pregnancy and lactation, and involution. These developmental stages are associated with major tissue remodeling, including extensive changes in mammary epithelium, as well as surrounding stroma. Three-dimensional (3D) mammary organoid culture has become an important tool in mammary gland biology and enabled invaluable discoveries on pubertal mammary branching morphogenesis and breast cancer. However, a suitable 3D organoid model recapitulating key aspects of lactation and involution has been missing. Here, we describe a robust and straightforward mouse mammary organoid system modeling lactation and involution-like process, which can be applied to study mechanisms of physiological mammary gland lactation and involution as well as pregnancy-associated breast cancer.
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
The mammary gland is a highly dynamic tissue that changes throughout reproductive life, including growth during puberty and repetitive cycles of pregnancy and involution. Mammary gland tumors represent the most common cancer diagnosed in women worldwide. Studying the regulatory mechanisms of mammary gland development is essential for understanding how dysregulation can lead to breast cancer initiation and progression. Three-dimensional (3D) mammary organoids offer many exciting possibilities for the study of tissue development and breast cancer. In the present protocol derived from Sumbal et al., we describe a straightforward 3D organoid system for the study of lactation and involution ex vivo. We use primary and passaged mouse mammary organoids stimulated with fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and prolactin to model the three cycles of mouse mammary gland lactation and involution processes. This 3D organoid model represents a valuable tool to study late postnatal mammary gland development and breast cancer, in particular postpartum-associated breast cancer. Graphic abstract: Mammary gland organoid isolation and culture procedures.
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- MeSH
- Cerebrovascular Disorders drug therapy MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Tablets MeSH
- Check Tag
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- MeSH
- Epididymis embryology MeSH
- Rats MeSH
- Mesonephros ultrastructure MeSH
- Morphogenesis MeSH
- Wolffian Ducts ultrastructure MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Rats MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Comparative Study MeSH
