Mini-breasts grown in petri dishes: New tool for cancer research

The research group, led by Dr. Christina Scheel, developed an assay whereby cultured human breast epithelial cells rebuild the three-dimensional tissue architecture of the mammary gland.

For this purpose, a transparent gel is used in which cells divide and spread, similar to the developing mammary gland during puberty.

Throughout the reproductive lifespan of a woman, the mammary gland is constantly remodeled and renewed in order to guarantee milk production even after multiple pregnancies. Although their exact identity remains elusive, this high cellular turnover requires the presence of cells with regenerative capacity, i.e. stem cells.

Breast cancer cells can adopt properties of stem cells to acquire aggressive traits. To determine how aggressive traits arise in breast cancer cells, it is therefore crucial to first elucidate the functioning of normal breast stem cells. For this purpose, the Scheel group provides a new powerful experimental tool.

In this case, healthy tissue from women undergoing aesthetic breast reduction is used. Co-author Haruko Miura explains: "After the operation, this tissue is normally discarded. For us, it is an experimental treasure chest that enables us to tease out individual difference in the behavior of stem and other cells in the human mammary gland."

About 70,000 Women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in Germany alone. Despite significant progress in the treatment of common types of breast cancer, some aggressive subtypes are poorly understood and remain incurable. A new experimental model opens new avenues for mammary gland biology and basic breast cancer research. Researchers are now able to create three-dimensional organoid-structures that recapitulate normal breast development and function from single patient-derived cells.