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Published on: August 12, 2011
Orthotopic Transplantation of Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells
Marisa M Faraldo1, Marina A Glukhova2, Marie-Ange Deugnier2
1Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215/INSERM U934, Paris, France. faraldo@curie.fr.
The orthotopic transplantation assay has provided important insights into mammary development, stem cell function, and tumorigenesis. Technically, it consists in grafting mammary tissue fragments, organoids, mammospheres, or isolated cells into the fat pads of prepubertal mice from which the endogenous epithelium has been surgically removed, thereby allowing growth and differentiation of mammary epithelial cells in their physiological environment. Here, we describe how is conducted transplantation of epithelial fragments and cells isolated from mouse mammary glands, report the various approaches currently used to evaluate the regeneration and self-renewal properties of mammary stem cells, and highlight the strengths and limitations of this in vivo grafting assay.
The orthotopic transplantation assay has provided important insights into mammary development, stem cell function, and tumorigenesis. Technically, it consists in grafting mammary tissue fragments, organoids, mammospheres, or isolated cells into the fat pads of prepubertal mice from which the endogenous epithelium has been surgically removed, thereby allowing growth and differentiation of mammary epithelial cells in their physiological environment. Here, we describe how is conducted transplantation of epithelial fragments and cells isolated from mouse mammary glands, report the various approaches currently used to evaluate the regeneration and self-renewal properties of mammary stem cells, and highlight the strengths and limitations of this in vivo grafting assay.
