All mammals have mammary glands that produce milk, a feature that has fascinated scientists for many years. Questions such as why mammary glands evolved in the first place, how they have adapted across different species and what unique evolutionary pressures shaped their development remain largely unanswered.
To investigate how various species have evolved unique solutions to biological challenges, my team at the Rauner Lab of Tufts University School of Medicine is recreating mammalian diversity in a dish through miniature versions of mammary glands – organoids. These models can shed light on the fundamental biological processes behind milk production, tissue regeneration and the early stages of breast cancer development.
