María José Robles-Malagamba, Tommaso Gerussi, Guillermo J Sánchez-Contreras, Mason N Dean
{"title":"Imaging and Diagnostic Tools for Cetacean Mammary Gland Assessment: Challenges and Future Directions for Marine Mammal Pathology, Medicine and Research.","authors":"María José Robles-Malagamba, Tommaso Gerussi, Guillermo J Sánchez-Contreras, Mason N Dean","doi":"10.1007/s10911-025-09591-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10911-025-09591-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reproduction studies are important for the conservation of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) because they provide essential information for assessing populations and species dynamics, particularly in relation to the management of the diverse cetacean species in human care. A vast majority of literature on the female cetacean reproductive anatomy and physiology has focused on the ovaries, which can be used to infer reproductive history, or genital diseases and anomalies. However, literature regarding the morphology, physiology, and developmental pattern of cetacean mammary glands is scarce, despite their fundamental role in providing vital nutrients for the growth of offspring. This review describes current diagnostic tools applied in human and veterinary medicine to assess mammary glands and how marine mammal medicine could benefit from incorporating these tools into standard evaluation of the mammary glands in free-ranging and captive cetaceans. By evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the current tools used to assess the mammary glands in humans and domestic animals -such as mammography, CT, MRI and ultrasonography- we frame a collection of diagnostic approaches that might be adapted to the particular challenges faced by marine mammal veterinarians, to enhance the evaluation of cetacean mammary gland morphology, physiology and development.</p>","PeriodicalId":16413,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia","volume":" ","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12827455/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145794076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Breast Cancer Progression by the FGF/FGFR Axis: A Metabolic Perspective.","authors":"Jennifer E Tuokkola, Kathryn L Schwertfeger","doi":"10.1007/s10911-025-09594-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10911-025-09594-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) are critical mediators of cellular signaling involved in development, tissue repair, and metabolic homeostasis. Dysregulated FGFR signaling is also a common feature in multiple cancer types, including breast cancer. In breast cancer, aberrant FGFR signaling can occur by amplification, mutation, isoform switching, or gene fusion and has emerged as a driver of tumor progression, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. Beyond its canonical roles in proliferation and survival, recent evidence highlights FGFRs as key regulators of cancer cell metabolism. This review summarizes current findings on how FGFR signaling reprograms metabolic pathways in breast cancer, specifically glycolytic and lipid metabolism. We explore the interplay between FGFR activity and metabolic enzymes, transcription factors, and nutrient-sensing pathways, emphasizing subtype-specific metabolic vulnerabilities. Furthermore, we discuss how FGFR-mediated metabolic plasticity contributes to tumor heterogeneity and resistance to targeted therapies. Understanding the metabolic functions of FGFR signaling offers new opportunities for therapeutic intervention and biomarker development in breast cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":16413,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia","volume":" ","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12804323/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145714619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"BRCA1: An Unrecognized Modulator of Lineage Plasticity in Basal-like Breast Cancer.","authors":"Rahul Sanawar, Satheesh Kumar Sengodan","doi":"10.1007/s10911-025-09592-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10911-025-09592-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Among breast cancer subtypes, basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is a highly aggressive form characterized by a lack of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) expression and is associated with poor prognosis, leaving chemotherapy as the sole treatment option available. Loss-of-function mutations in BRCA1 are strongly associated with the development of BLBC. Patients with this subtype are more likely to have grade III tumors and larger average tumor sizes than those with other subtypes of breast cancer. It is not known whether BRCA1 loss of function affects all cell types equally within breast tissue or if it has a preferential malignant impact on specific cell types, leading to the progression of lineage-specific tumorigenesis in the breast epithelium of women carrying BRCA1 mutations. Lineage tracing experiments using genetically engineered mouse models have provided critical insights into how BRCA1 loss alters cellular hierarchy within the mammary gland. These studies have demonstrated that BRCA1-deficient luminal progenitors can aberrantly differentiate into basal-like cells, suggesting that BLBC may arise from a misregulated luminal compartment rather than pre-existing basal stem cells. Understanding the mechanisms underlying BRCA1-mediated lineage plasticity offers novel therapeutic avenues to target early-stage tumor initiation and progression in BRCA1-mutated breast cancer. This review perspective sheds light on the role of BRCA1 in lineage plasticity and highlights probable mechanisms by which BRCA1 could promote this lineage plasticity.</p>","PeriodicalId":16413,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia","volume":" ","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12779691/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145668462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura B Bjerre, Silke B Chalmers, Felicity M Davis
{"title":"Little women: the relevance and reliance on mouse models for mammary gland research and next steps for translation.","authors":"Laura B Bjerre, Silke B Chalmers, Felicity M Davis","doi":"10.1007/s10911-025-09590-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10911-025-09590-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The neglect of research into women's health and female biology has had major impacts for the fields of mammary biology and cancer. A quarter of the way through the twenty-first century, we still lack basic knowledge regarding the formation and function of the organ that gives its name to all mammals, and which provides important health benefits for children and their breastfeeding parent through the creation and delivery of breast milk. In this review, we highlight key similarities and differences in mouse and human mammary glands, and discuss how both systems of investigation are important and necessary to fill outstanding knowledge gaps. We discuss important discoveries that have arisen through mouse models as well as methodological advances that have enabled more widespread investigations in human samples. Finally, we contend that the translatability of mammary gland research requires thoughtful design, careful evaluation and continued review, irrespective of the system of investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":16413,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia","volume":"30 1","pages":"16"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12634731/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145564236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kiandra N Hawkins, Jordan Dillard, Yin Ye, Justin Wang, Robert M Hoffman, Krista Mcphail, Sanford H Barsky
{"title":"Natural and induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition results in epigenetic silencing of HER2 overexpression.","authors":"Kiandra N Hawkins, Jordan Dillard, Yin Ye, Justin Wang, Robert M Hoffman, Krista Mcphail, Sanford H Barsky","doi":"10.1007/s10911-025-09588-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10911-025-09588-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a well-known phenomenon that has been implicated in diverse biological processes ranging from embryonal development to cancer invasion and metastasis. In epithelial-derived cancers which both invade and metastasize as epithelial clumps or clusters, EMT would have to be followed by MET (mesenchymal-epithelial transition) since both the initial cancer and the metastasis appear epithelial in nature. There is a rare subset of breast carcinomas, however, that exhibit biphasic epithelial and mesenchymal differentiation, so-called metaplastic carcinomas. Our initial studies were designed to examine whether EMT was indeed occurring in this unique subset of metaplastic breast carcinomas. Based on both RT-PCR and immunocytochemical studies, EMT was naturally occurring. Once this was confirmed, we wanted to investigate the effects of EMT beyond the immediate gene expression pattern that traditionally defined it. Although approximately 90% of metaplastic breast carcinomas are triple negative, 5-10% amplify and overexpress HER2. We then conducted both observational studies in these biphasic HER2 overexpressing metaplastic breast carcinomas and experimental studies with a HER2 overexpressing cell line, the HTB20, where TGFβ1 induced EMT. In the observational studies, HER2 gene amplification was equally present in both the epithelial and mesenchymal phases but both HER2 mRNA and protein levels were essentially silenced in the areas having undergone EMT. Similarly in the experimental studies where TGFβ1 induced EMT, HER2 gene amplification persisted but HER2 mRNA and protein levels were similarly silenced. These studies provide direct evidence that both naturally occurring and induced EMT results in epigenetically silencing of HER2 overexpression.</p>","PeriodicalId":16413,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia","volume":"30 1","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12484253/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Steven M Lewis, Lucia Tellez-Perez, Samantha Henry, Xingyu Zheng, Saket Navlakha, Camila O Dos Santos
{"title":"MaGNet: A Network-Based Method for Quantitative Analysis of the Mammary Ductal Tree in Developing Female Mice.","authors":"Steven M Lewis, Lucia Tellez-Perez, Samantha Henry, Xingyu Zheng, Saket Navlakha, Camila O Dos Santos","doi":"10.1007/s10911-025-09589-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10911-025-09589-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The mammary gland is a uniquely dynamic organ with a branching architecture that develops entirely after birth in response to hormonal cues. A common approach in mammary gland biology is the evaluation of branching morphogenesis to characterize the role of developmental, physiological and molecular perturbations on branching tissue invasion, growth, and maintenance. Yet, the field still lacks a fully open-sourced, quantitative framework to analyze whole-mount mammary tissue images, as a commonly utilized methodology. Here, we present MaGNet (Mammary Gland Network analysis tool), a method that leverages network theory to characterize key features of ductal branching during mammary gland development. Applying this pipeline to mammary gland images captured at three pubertal timepoints, we achieved reproducible quantification of ductal tree expansion across development. In addition, this network analysis pipeline captures ductal expansion induced by pregnancy hormones. By providing open-source tools to the research community, this method may increase reproducibility and broad applicability across diverse organ systems, model organisms, and developmental stages.</p>","PeriodicalId":16413,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia","volume":"30 1","pages":"13"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474597/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145149386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Does microtubule motor-mediated centrosomal dyshomeostasis confer chemoresistance in breast cancer?","authors":"J Priyanga, Gunjan Guha, Dipita Bhakta-Guha","doi":"10.1007/s10911-025-09585-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10911-025-09585-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chemoresistance is a major challenge in effective chemotherapy for breast cancers. Unfortunately, the precise molecular mechanisms that confer resistance remain elusive so far. A remarkable feature in a multitude of breast cancers is the presence of clustered supernumerary centrosomes, which is a dysregulated condition that arises primarily through centrosome over-duplication. Normally, microtubule motor proteins (MiMos) maintain the integrity of centrosomes via regulating cohesion, separation and positioning of centrosomes. In the recent years, several MiMos have been reported to be differentially expressed in chemoresistant breast cancers. Such findings suggest a probable association of MiMos with chemoresistance. Here, we propose that MiMo-associated centrosomal dysregulation is involved in conferring chemoresistance in breast cancers. We corroborate the same with a systematic review of literature where we narrow down to sixteen MiMos (one dynein and fifteen kinesins). Our argument highlights a plausible decisive role of MiMo-mediated centrosomal anomalies in orchestrating chemoresistance in breast cancers.</p>","PeriodicalId":16413,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia","volume":"30 1","pages":"14"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12474719/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145149402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matea Brezak, Azqa Ajmal Khan, Martin Jechlinger, Zuzana Sumbalova Koledova
{"title":"Live-cell imaging of mammary organoids using light sheet microscopy.","authors":"Matea Brezak, Azqa Ajmal Khan, Martin Jechlinger, Zuzana Sumbalova Koledova","doi":"10.1007/s10911-025-09587-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10911-025-09587-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The mammary gland is a dynamic organ whose parenchyma undergoes major development during puberty and extensive remodeling with each estrous cycle. These processes can be modelled and investigated in vitro via 3D cell culture techniques that employ specialized extracellular matrices and appropriate growth factors. The resulting mammary organoid cultures faithfully represent the mammary gland with respect to cellular heterogeneity, cell-cell contacts, overall architecture as well as response to growth factor stimuli and are amendable to a variety of molecular methods as well as microscopy techniques. Among the imaging techniques, light sheet microscopy (single plane illumination microscopy; SPIM) represents a useful method for longitudinal monitoring of morphological changes and cell behavior during the establishment of mammary gland ductal systems. In contrast to other fluorescence microscopy techniques such as widefield- and confocal-microscopy, SPIM exerts minimal phototoxicity while allowing fast acquisition of different fluorophores within organoids arranged in a 3D matrix under optimized environmental conditions. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for organoid acquisition and culture and describe two sample mounting variants for use with multiview and inverted light sheet microscopes.</p>","PeriodicalId":16413,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia","volume":"30 1","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12401754/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144957604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reactivation of Multipotency in the Mammary Gland - a Ripple in the Pond and a Turn of the Tide.","authors":"C Hager, C Jehanno, M Bentires-Alj","doi":"10.1007/s10911-025-09586-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10911-025-09586-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Multipotency refers to the ability of a cell to differentiate into multiple, yet limited as opposed to pluripotency, number of cell types within a specific lineage or tissue. Studies using transgenic mouse models of the mammary gland have revealed a cellular hierarchy in which both luminal and basal lineages are replenished by unipotent progenitor cells. Hence, despite the existence of bipotent stem cells, normal mammary gland homeostasis is intimately linked with unipotency. However, recent literature revealed that under specific physiological or experimental conditions, lineage-restricted mammary cells can reacquire multipotency and undergo a lineage switch, challenging the traditional unidirectional model of cell differentiation. This reactivation of multipotency has been observed, for instance, in response to pregnancy, lineage ablation or oncogenic stimuli, indicating a certain level of plasticity that may have consequences in the context of tumorigenesis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms governing this phenomenon could provide valuable insights into mammary gland cellular hierarchy and breast cancer progression. Indeed, reactivation of multipotency is a result of developed cell plasticity, which can drive tumor heterogeneity, promote disease aggressiveness and hamper diagnosis. This review provides an overview of models that have inferred reactivation of multipotency, discusses the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms and proposes future perspectives for research.</p>","PeriodicalId":16413,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia","volume":"30 1","pages":"11"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12271291/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Intraductal Injection of Adenoviruses to Perform Lineage Tracing in the Mammary Gland.","authors":"Xueqing Chen, Sen Han, Dongyi Zhao, Zhe Li","doi":"10.1007/s10911-025-09584-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10911-025-09584-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lineage tracing is a fundamental tool in developmental biology and cancer research, providing critical insights into cell fate decisions, tissue homeostasis and tumor initiation. The mammary gland is a highly dynamic organ with a complex cellular hierarchy, making it an ideal system for lineage-tracing studies. Classic approaches, such as tamoxifen-inducible CreER/loxP recombination, have significantly advanced our understanding of mammary epithelial cell (MEC) differentiation, homeostasis, and transformation. However, these methods have limitations, including potential effects of tamoxifen on estrogen signaling, low mammary gland specificity, and the requirement for transgenic model creation and mouse breeding. Adenovirus-Cre (Ad-Cre)-based lineage tracing has emerged as a powerful alternative, enabling rapid and organ-specific recombination. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the Ad-Cre approach in mammary gland biology, comparing its efficiency, specificity, and technical advantages over the CreER-based method. We discuss applications of Ad-Cre intraductal injection-based lineage tracing in mapping MEC fates, identifying the cellular origins of breast cancer, and modeling tumor progression. Additionally, we highlight its ability to induce genetic marking at a clonal level, facilitating precise investigations into MEC plasticity and tumor cell heterogeneity. Despite its advantages, Ad-Cre lineage tracing also presents challenges, such as low cell-targeting efficiency and potential effect on the mammary gland immune microenvironment. Future advancements, including the integration of CRISPR-based barcoding, may further enhance its utility for high-resolution fate mapping. By summarizing recent advancements and comparative analyses, this review underscores the significance of Ad-Cre lineage tracing as a versatile and powerful tool in mammary gland biology and breast cancer research.</p>","PeriodicalId":16413,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia","volume":"30 1","pages":"10"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12234609/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144575675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}