Mammary Apoptosis and Development Group
Research Interests
Our group is interested in the development of and apoptosis in the mammary gland. The processes involved are important for our understanding of how cell differentiation is controlled and how the redundant cells are removed by apoptosis. Understanding these molecular-biological processes will also result in a better understanding of cancer and could lead to insights aiding in the development of anti-cancer therapy.
Factors influencing mammary gland stem cells
The mouse mammary gland is a powerful model for studying patterns of cellular proliferation. Transplantation experiments have shown that fragments of mammary tissue can regenerate an entire gland in an empty mammary fat pad. Additionally, recent work by Boulanger et al.(PNAS, 2007) reveals that testicular cells from male mice can contribute to mammary gland development when transplanted with mammary cells. These and other data emphasize the role of stem and progenitor cells in generating mammary epithelium. The behavior of these cells can be altered by a variety of factors, including molecular signals from the surrounding microenvironment. I am interested in identifying these factors and studying their effects on stem cell behavior.