A Hormone-responsive 3D Culture Model of the Human Mammary Gland Epithelium

Abstract

The process of mammary epithelial morphogenesis is influenced by hormones. The study of hormone action on the breast epithelium using 2D cultures is limited to cell proliferation and gene expression endpoints. However, in the organism, mammary morphogenesis occurs in a 3D environment. 3D culture systems help bridge the gap between monolayer cell culture (2D) and the complexity of the organism. Herein, we describe a 3D culture model of the human breast epithelium that is suitable to study hormone action. It uses the commercially available hormone-responsive human breast epithelial cell line, T47D, and rat tail collagen type 1 as a matrix. This 3D culture model responds to the main mammotropic hormones: estradiol, progestins and prolactin. The influence of these hormones on epithelial morphogenesis can be observed after 1-or 2-week treatment according to the endpoint. The 3D cultures can be harvested for analysis of epithelial morphogenesis, cell proliferation and gene expression. Video LinkThe video component of this article can be found at

Implications of Three-Dimensional Cell Culture in Cancer Therapeutic Research

“…Biomaterials like hydrogels have been developed to grow cells in three dimensions and to investigate countless cellular processes towards understanding morphogenesis, aging, and disease ( 8 ). 3D culture systems help in covering the gap between 2D monolayer cell cultures and the complexity of the organism ( 9 ). Cells growing in 3D cultures behave differently, and physiologically significant aspects can be studied more realistically.…”