Establishment and characterization of equine mammary organoids using a method translatable to other non-traditional model species.
Abstract: Mammary organoid (MaO) models are only available for a few traditional model organisms, limiting our ability to investigate mammary gland development and cancer across mammals. This study established equine mammary organoids (EqMaOs) from cryopreserved mammary tissue, in which mammary tissue fragments were isolated and embedded into a 3D matrix to produce EqMaOs. We evaluated viability, proliferation and budding capacity of EqMaOs at different time points during culture, showing that although the number of proliferative cells decreased over time, viability was maintained and budding increased. We further characterized EqMaOs based on expression of stem cell, myoepithelial and luminal markers, and found that EqMaOs expressed these markers throughout culture and that a bilayered structure as seen in vivo was recapitulated. We used the milk-stimulating hormone prolactin to induce milk production, which was verified by the upregulation of milk proteins, most notably β-casein. Additionally, we showed that our method is also applicable to additional non-traditional mammalian species, particularly domesticated animals such as cats, pigs and rabbits. Collectively, MaO models across species will be a useful tool for comparative developmental and cancer studies.
© 2022. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.
Publication Date: 2022-04-12 PubMed ID: 35297994DOI: 10.1242/dev.200412Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research paper details the development of mammary organoid (MaO) models for horses, a significant step towards understanding mammary gland growth and cancer in various mammal species.
Understanding the Research Paper
- The key focus of this research paper is the development of equine mammary organoids (EqMaOs) from frozen mammary tissue, which is quite significant as MaOs are currently available for only a few traditional model animals. This limitation has hindered our capacity to explore mammary gland development and cancer in various mammals.
- During the research, mammary tissue fragments were isolated and embedded into a three-dimensional matrix to develop the EqMaOs. The researchers then evaluated the viability, proliferation (growth and multiplication) and budding capacity (the potential to make new growths or “‘buds'”) of the EqMaOs. It was observed that although the number of proliferative cells decreased over a specific period, the viability of EqMaOs was upheld and budding increased.
- Characterising the EqMaOs was the next step of the study; for this, the expression of stem cell markers, myoepithelial (cells that form part of the walls of the milk ducts in the mammary gland) and luminal markers (cells that line the mammary ducts) were considered. The EqMaOs were found to express these markers throughout their culture, and a double-layered structure that is seen in vivo (in a living organism) was replicated.
- The researchers then used the hormone prolactin, which stimulates milk production, to test milk production in the EqMaOs. The upregulation (increase) of milk proteins, especially β-casein, verified that milk production was successfully induced.
- The final part of the study showcased that the method used for developing EqMaOs could also be applied to other non-traditional mammal species, particularly domesticated animals like cats, pigs and rabbits.
- In conclusion, the study suggests that developing MaO models across various species will be a helpful tool for comparative studies regarding development and cancer.
By successfully creating MaOs for equines, this study paves the way for comparative developmental and cancer research in a broader range of species, thereby deepening our understanding of mammary gland development and cancer across mammals.
Cite This Article
APA
Bartlett AP, Harman RM, Weiss JR, Van de Walle GR.
(2022).
Establishment and characterization of equine mammary organoids using a method translatable to other non-traditional model species.
Development, 149(7), dev200412.
https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.200412 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cell Division
- Epithelial Cells / metabolism
- Female
- Horses
- Lactation
- Mammals
- Mammary Glands, Animal
- Organoids
- Rabbits
- Stem Cells
- Swine
Conflict of Interest Statement
Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests.
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Penning LC, van den Boom R. Companion animal organoid technology to advance veterinary regenerative medicine. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1032835.
- Li C, Zheng S, Lin J, Li Q, Yang K, Li X. Effects of added exogenous hormones on lactation-related physiological functions of equine mammary epithelial cells. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1660502.
- Yamamoto H, Elbadawy M, Tsunedomi R, Maeda N, Nagano H, Ishihara Y, Abugomaa A, Shiota Y, Yu TW, Liu Y, Nagashima Y, Kobayashi Y, Matsui R, Uomoto S, Kobayashi M, Yoshida T, Shibutani M, Kobayashi T, Inoue M, Higashinaka M, Fukushima R, Azakami D, Uchide T, Shinohara Y, Yamawaki H, Kaneda M, Usui T, Sasaki K. Novel organoid-based exploration reveals the role of LMTK3/FADS2 signaling in metastatic breast cancer progression in felines and humans. Sci Rep 2025 Nov 22;15(1):45016.
- Capone A, Merlo B, Begni F, Iacono E. Equine Colostrum-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: A Potential Resource for Veterinary Regenerative Medicine. Vet Sci 2025 Jul 19;12(7).
- Feng R, Ma S, Bai R, Zhu Y, Sarengele, Ning J, Xu Q, Wang C, Wang L, Bian C, Zheng Z, Shou P, Zhang L, Su X. Establishment and characterization study of ovine mammary organoids. BMC Vet Res 2025 Mar 19;21(1):184.
- Kalla J, Pfneissl J, Mair T, Tran L, Egger G. A systematic review on the culture methods and applications of 3D tumoroids for cancer research and personalized medicine. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2025 Feb;48(1):1-26.
- Rauner G. Using Organoids to Tap Mammary Gland Diversity for Novel Insight. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2024 Mar 28;29(1):7.
- Miller JL, Reddy A, Harman RM, Van de Walle GR. A xenotransplantation mouse model to study physiology of the mammary gland from large mammals. PLoS One 2024;19(2):e0298390.
- Zdyrski C, Gabriel V, Gessler TB, Ralston A, Sifuentes-Romero I, Kundu D, Honold S, Wickham H, Topping NE, Sahoo DK, Bista B, Tamplin J, Ospina O, Piñeyro P, Arriaga M, Galan JA, Meyerholz DK, Allenspach K, Mochel JP, Valenzuela N. Establishment and characterization of turtle liver organoids provides a potential model to decode their unique adaptations. Commun Biol 2024 Feb 22;7(1):218.
- Gabriel V, Zdyrski C, Sahoo DK, Ralston A, Wickham H, Bourgois-Mochel A, Ahmed B, Merodio MM, Paukner K, Piñeyro P, Kopper J, Rowe EW, Smith JD, Meyerholz D, Kol A, Viall A, Elbadawy M, Mochel JP, Allenspach K. Adult Animal Stem Cell-Derived Organoids in Biomedical Research and the One Health Paradigm. Int J Mol Sci 2024 Jan 5;25(2).
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
