PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Rauner, Gat
AU  - Traugh, Nicole C.
AU  - Trepicchio, Colin J.
AU  - Parrish, Meadow E.
AU  - Mushayandebvu, Kenan
AU  - Kuperwasser, Charlotte
TI  - Advancements in Human Breast Organoid Culture: Modeling Complex Tissue Structures and Developmental Insights
AID  - 10.1101/2023.10.02.560364
DP  - 2023 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 2023.10.02.560364
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2023/10/02/2023.10.02.560364.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2023/10/02/2023.10.02.560364.full
AB  - Organoids have been widely used for studying tissue growth and modeling diseases, but achieving physiologically relevant architecture, size, and function has remained a challenge. Here, we develop a next-generation organotypic culture method that enables the formation of a highly patterned, complex, branched tissue that is spatially organized to accurately recapitulate the morphology, scale, cellular, transcriptional, and tissue-level heterogeneity of human breast tissue. Hormone responsiveness of organoids is also a feature allowing for examination of androgen therapy or post-menopausal changes to breast tissue development and regeneration. Live imaging allows for studying stem cell dynamics during organoid formation and is adaptable to a high throughput setting. Real-time imaging of organoid formation reveals activation of latent epithelial organogenesis programs and inductive cellular dynamics that drive formation of a miniature breast tissue along with its mesenchyme akin to tissue stroma. By advancing human breast organoid technology, this model can elucidate cell- and tissue-level consequences to hormonal changes and therapy. In addition, this method can lead to new insights into the cellular, molecular, and tissue-level processes involved in organogenesis and regeneration, as well as disease.Competing Interest StatementGR consults for Turtle Tree Inc. CK is co-founder and consultant of Naveris Inc.