MODELING HUMAN BREAST CANCER IN SWINE

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。正常人类乳房的发育经历了一个复杂的过程，在细胞分化和乳汁合成之前，包括协调的上皮增殖和形态发生。为了了解乳腺癌的基础，首先有必要了解调节这些正常过程的机制。虽然使用啮齿动物模型取得了重大进展，但主要的限制是这些物种的正常乳房发育和肿瘤发生并不与人类非常相似。在开发人类乳腺癌替代动物模型的持续努力中，我们已经确定其他大型动物物种的乳腺具有与人类乳房相似的特征。提出的工作将提供研究生培训，旨在进一步评估该模型的激素调节。具体来说，硕士候选人将有机会测试各种激素改变大型动物乳腺生长和形态发生的假设。最终，这一规定的定义将有助于提供一个真实的人类乳房模型。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The normal human breast develops through a complex process that involves coordinated rounds of epithelial proliferation and morphogenesis prior to cellular differentiation and milk synthesis. In order to understand the basis of breast cancer it is first necessary to understand the mechanisms that regulate these normal processes. While significant gains have been made using rodent models, a major limitation is that normal mammary development and tumorigenesis in these species does not closely resemble that in humans. In an ongoing effort to develop an alternative animal model for human breast cancer, we have identified that the mammary glands of other large animal species have features similar to the human breast. The work proposed will provide graduate training designed to further evaluate the hormonal regulation of this model. Specifically, a Masters candidate will have the opportunity to test the hypothesis that various hormones alter growth and morphogenesis of the mammary glands in large animal species. Ultimately the definition of this regulation could help to afford an authentic model of the human breast.