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.
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