Proceedings of the European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST 825) Symposium on Mammary Gland Biology, held September 16-18, 1999, in Tours, France. It is difficult to overstate the evolutionary and functional significance of mammary tissue in biology. Substantial progress has been made by researchers in various disciplines, particularly over the last fifteen years, towards realizing the potential of this tissue to yield powerful experimental models for morphogenesis and tissue development; for cellular differentiation; for the biosynthesis and secretion of proteins, lipids, small molecules and inorganic salts; and for the coordination and regulation of these processes. More recently, the possibility of exploiting the secretory epithelial cells of mammary tissue as `cell factories' has become a reality and the recombinant production by lactating animals of an increasing number of proteins, valuable both in the pharmaceutical and `nutraceutical' fields, is in progress or under development. Also in this sphere of agricultural production, genetic as well as nutritional technologies are under investigation and exploitation to optimize milk composition for various end-uses - for instance in food process and manufacture. The possibilities of deriving health benefit from the bioactive properties of some of the minor constituents of milk are emerging to counter the highly-publicized negative health impact of excessive consumption of saturated animal fats. In human nutrition and medicine, the mammary gland is both a source of nutrition to the neonate and a potential health threat to the adult female - breast cancer remains the major single cause of female mortality in most developed countries. This volume provides a unique glimpse into our understanding, at the cutting edge of a variety of disciplines, of this versatile and extraordinary tissue, at the birth of the twenty-first century.

This book is a bench manual that provides in one volume all theimportant and unique technologies necessary to studies of mammarygland biology and breast cancer. The chapters are written by expertsin each area with an emphasis on nitty-gritty details that are keypoints for the successful use of a method. Sections include "in""vivo" model systems, special techniques for "in vivo"studies, "in vitro" model systems, and molecular analysis and genetransfer techniques.

Michael Akers provides the basics for understanding mammary development and lactation and conveys the critical regulatory events in lactation. This text willl prove to be an invaluable overview of mamorary development and lactation for undergraduates and graduates studying lactation, new researchers, and as a review for established scientists. Additionally, the book will be an important resource for professionals in the animal and dairy industry and for those in other scientific disciplines such as food chemistry, cell biology, and endocrinology whose work is closely tied to mammary gland development and function. Lactation and the Mammary Gland covers growth and development of the mammary gland including comparisons between species. It imparts and emphasizes the critical nature of mammary growth and the onset of lactation at the time of parturition. Special emphasis is given to the endocrine and growth factor regulation of both mammogenesis and lactogenesis. A thorough discussion of the role of growth hormone in development and maintenance of lactation or galactopoiesis adds to this book's value as a text and reference. The author reviews the presence of hormones, growth factors, and other bioactive compounds in milk and mammary secretions as well as the potential for use of the mammary gland as a bioreactor in the pharmaceutical industry. A description of the nutritional and management factors in milk production round out the book's comprehensive coverage.

This book is a compilation of manuscripts that encompass a breadth of information from different species including rodents, dogs, cows, goats, and sheep. Normal developmental processes are covered and anatomical features are discussed, as well as the impact and significance of environmental chemicals and epigenetics on the mammary gland. In terms of disease states, cancer and mastitis are the most impactful in the fields of human medicine and livestock management, respectively, in the context of mammary gland biology. Therefore, this book presents in depth analyses of these diseases over several chapters and different model systems. Rodent and canine cancer models are discussed, which are very relevant in understanding the roles that genes and the environment play in human breast cancer. In the livestock industry, mastitis in the dairy sector has a deep economic impact globally, and results in over a billion dollar loss annually. Several chapters are devoted towards this disease in dairy cattle, sheep and goats, with an underlying theme of generating newer detection strategies to detect infections at an earlier stage. An up-to-date description of the most important signaling pathways and mechanisms that impact both development and disease are included. A gamut of sub-disciplines are found throughout the book that covers the main aspects of anatomy, physiology, cell biology, genetics, and molecular biology in both development and diseases of the mammary gland.

approaches to the experimental problems that still face us in understanding this most fascinating of organs. Too many people contributed to the completion of this volume to allow acknowledg ment of all the individual efforts, but we particularly thank the reviewers whose input into the editorial process was invaluable and the authors of these chapters who revised their text, sometimes more than once, to bring it to the high standards set by the Editors. The Com mittee gratefully acknowledges the support ofVysis, Inc. , in the publication of a color figure in Chapter 19, by S. Weber-Hall and Trevor Dale. Finally, we wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to Margot Ip and Bonnie Asch, who worked long and hard to bring this volume to fruition. Margaret C. Neville for the Committee on Mammary Gland Biology Preface One of the most exciting and beneficial developments in research on mammary gland biology and breast cancer has been the influx of increased funding to support this work. This influx, which has been due primarily to the tireless efforts of breast cancer activists to gamer addi tional money from various federal and state sources, has led to a rapid expansion of research efforts by attracting numerous new investigators into the field. These new investigators include students, postdoctoral fellows, and scientists from other fields.

A presentation of the most fundamental features of the biology of the mammary gland, a unique model of an organ capable of an abundant synthesis of proteins: endocrinology of lactation, role of prolactin, genetics and protein synthesis, immunology and the mammary gland, nutrition and dairy products. Readership: students, teachers, researchers, health and agriculture professionals. Lactation Biology was first published in French in 1993. The English version is not merely a translation: it has been updated by the author.

Studies of mammary gland biology are critically important given the prevalence of breast cancer in the population. There are many other reasons to study this organ, however. It represents an excellent model system for research into developmental mechanisms, gene regulation, tissue organization, hormonal action, secretion, and stem cell biology, revealing general principles that can be extended to other organs and tissues. This book provides valuable lessons for all cell, developmental, and cancer biologists.