AUTHOR=Caruso Marika , Huang Sjanie , Mourao Larissa , Scheele Colinda L. G. J. TITLE=A Mammary Organoid Model to Study Branching Morphogenesis JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.826107 DOI=10.3389/fphys.2022.826107 ISSN=1664-042X ABSTRACT=
Branching morphogenesis is the process that gives rise to branched structures in several organs, such as the lung, the kidney, and the mammary gland. Although morphologically well described, the exact mechanisms driving branch elongation and bifurcation are still poorly understood. Signaling cues from the stroma and extracellular matrix have an important role in driving branching morphogenesis. Organoid models derived from primary mammary epithelial cells have emerged as a powerful tool to gain insight into branching morphogenesis of the mammary gland. However, current available mammary organoid culture protocols result in morphologically simple structures which do not resemble the complex branched structure of the