It seems that new technology to identify or help manage breast cancer is constantly rolling out. The latest twist in that trend is breast tissue grown in a lab.
Dr. Christina Scheel of the A took breast tissue from women who had breast reduction surgery, isolated a small number of stem cells that generate new breast tissue and mixed the stem cells with a culture solution to increase the amount of cells and with the help of a few other adjustments.
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“The fact that the normal breast tissue growth is so intense is leading Scheel to next study whether breast cancer might result from some loss of this very controlled regulation of breast tissue growth, similar to a car without brakes.”
Scheel and her team found that on a rigid platform, the cells acted more like tumors compared to when they were grown on a softer platform, possibly explaining why women with larger breasts have higher rates of breast cancer due to more connective tissue.
Dr. Scheel explained how the research could be applied:
“This technological break-through provides the basis for many research projects, both those aimed to understand how breast cancer cells acquire aggressive traits, as well as to elucidate how adult stem cells function in normal regeneration”
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According to the Institute of Stem Cell Research, the team is currently adapting their system to explain the non-genetic process of the cell’s ability to switch between different physical states of cells. This will help in achieving their goal of exposing targets for breast cancer.
Scheel said, “This model will allow us to better study normal breast development, and then to understand the first steps that predispose women to developing tumors.”
Photo: Flickr user Niharb