A Decision Tree to Guide Human and Mouse Mammary Organoid Model Selection

Over the past 50 years, researchers from the mammary gland field have launched a collection of distinctive 3D cell culture systems to study multiple aspects of mammary gland physiology and disease. As our knowledge about the mammary gland evolves, more sophisticated 3D cell culture systems are required to answer more and more complex questions. Nowadays, morphologically complex mammary organoids can be generated in distinct 3D settings, along with reproduction of multiple aspects of the gland microenvironment. Yet, each 3D culture protocol comes with its advantages and limitations, where some culture systems are best suited to study stemness potential, whereas others are tailored towards the study of mammary gland morphogenesis. Therefore, prior to starting a 3D mammary culture experiment, it is important to consider and select the ideal culture model to address the biological question of interest. The number and technical requirements of novel 3D cell culture methods vastly increased over the past decades, making it currently challenging and time consuming to identify the best experimental testing. In this chapter, we provide a summary of the most promising murine and human 3D organoid models that are currently used in mammary gland biology research. For each model, we will provide a brief description of the protocol and an overview of the expected morphological outcome, the advantages of the model, and the potential pitfalls, to guide the reader to the best model of choice for specific applications.