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Related Concept Videos

The Mammary Glands01:12

The Mammary Glands

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The female breast is a hemispheric projection of variable size positioned anterior to the pectoralis major and serratus anterior muscles. A fascia layer composed of dense, irregular connective tissue connects it to these muscles.
Each breast features a pigmented projection known as the nipple, through which milk emerges via closely spaced openings of ducts, referred to as lactiferous ducts. Surrounding the nipple is a circular pigmented area of skin named the areola, which appears rough due to...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 28, 2026

A Hormone-responsive 3D Culture Model of the Human Mammary Gland Epithelium
08:24

A Hormone-responsive 3D Culture Model of the Human Mammary Gland Epithelium

Published on: February 7, 2016

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3D Primary Culture Model to Study Human Mammary Development.

Daniel H Miller1,2, Ethan S Sokol1,2, Piyush B Gupta3,4,5,6,7

  • 1Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|June 22, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed a 3D culture method to grow human mammary tissues from patient cells. These engineered tissues mimic natural breast tissue structure and hormone responses, aiding breast cancer and development studies.

Keywords:
3D cultureCollagenEx vivo cultureExtracellular matrixHuman mammary epithelial cellsHydrogelImmunofluorescenceMammary glandPrimary culture

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Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Human mammary tissue development and function are complex.
  • Studying mammary tissue architecture and cellular interactions is crucial for understanding breast cancer and development.
  • Existing models often fail to fully recapitulate in vivo mammary tissue complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish a protocol for expanding patient-derived human mammary tissues in vitro.
  • To create a 3D culture system that mimics the native mammary tissue microenvironment.
  • To enable functional studies of mammary tissue development and disease.

Main Methods:

  • Primary human mammary epithelial cells were cultured in defined 3D hydrogels.
  • Hydrogels incorporated specific proteins and carbohydrates found in mammary tissue.
  • Cultures were maintained for 10-14 days to allow tissue self-assembly.

Main Results:

  • Developed mammary tissues exhibited complex ductal-lobular topologies.
  • Organized luminal and basal cells, along with stem cell markers, were observed.
  • Expanded tissues responded to key lactogenic hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin.

Conclusions:

  • The 3D culture protocol successfully recapitulates key architectural and functional features of human mammary tissue.
  • This model provides a valuable platform for investigating mammary gland development.
  • The system is suitable for preclinical studies of breast cancer and therapeutic responses.