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The Mammary Glands

The Mammary Glands

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: Jan 7, 2026

Generation of Mosaic Mammary Organoids by Differential Trypsinization

Generation of Mosaic Mammary Organoids by Differential Trypsinization

Published on: March 11, 2020

Modeling Mammary Gland Development and Reproductive Cycles With Organoids.

Laurianne Temime¹, Lamia Djoual¹, Aurelie Chiche¹

¹Department of Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, Cellular Plasticity in Age-Related Pathologies, CNRS UMR 3738, Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.

Biology of the Cell

|December 26, 2025

Summary

Mammary organoids offer advanced models for studying breast development and lactation. These complex 3D systems are crucial for understanding breast cancer and women

Keywords:

branching morphogenesis involution lactation mammary gland organoids

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Last Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Generation of Mosaic Mammary Organoids by Differential Trypsinization

Generation of Mosaic Mammary Organoids by Differential Trypsinization

Published on: March 11, 2020

Generating and Imaging Mouse and Human Epithelial Organoids from Normal and Tumor Mammary Tissue Without Passaging

Generating and Imaging Mouse and Human Epithelial Organoids from Normal and Tumor Mammary Tissue Without Passaging

Published on: November 11, 2022

Three-Dimensional Imaging of Organoids to Study Primary Ciliogenesis During ex vivo Organogenesis

Three-Dimensional Imaging of Organoids to Study Primary Ciliogenesis During ex vivo Organogenesis

Published on: May 14, 2021

Area of Science:

Reproductive biology
Developmental biology
Biomedical engineering

Background:

Mammary organoids bridge the gap between 2D cell cultures and in vivo models.
They recapitulate key features of mammary gland biology, including architecture and hormone responsiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

To synthesize current organoid models of the mammary gland across the reproductive cycle.
To survey emerging organoid technologies and their potential applications.
To outline future directions for developing more physiologically faithful ex vivo mammary models.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on mammary organoid models.
Synthesis of data across different reproductive stages (morphogenesis, pregnancy, involution).
Exploration of advanced platforms like co-culture and organ-on-chip systems.

Main Results:

Organoid models successfully recapitulate mammary gland branching, hormone responses, and lactation.
Emerging systems include embryonic/pluripotent, cross-species, and co-culture models with stromal, adipose, and immune components.
Organoids provide functional readouts for lactation and other physiological processes.

Conclusions:

Mammary organoids are powerful tools for mechanistic dissection of mammary development.
These models offer comparative and translational insights for lactation research, breast cancer studies, and women's health.
Future development should focus on increasing model complexity and physiological fidelity for broader applications.