Mammary stem cell research in veterinary science: an update

Abstract

The mammary gland is an organ with a remarkable regenerative capacity that can undergo multiple cycles of proliferation, lactation, and involution. Growing evidence suggests that these changes are driven by the coordinated division and differentiation of mammary stem cell populations (MaSC). Whereas information regarding MaSC and their role in comparative mammary gland physiology is readily available in human and mice, such information remains scarce in most veterinary mammal species such as cows, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, and dogs. We believe that a better knowledge on the MaSC in these species will not only help to gain more insights into mammary gland (patho) physiology in veterinary medicine, but will also be of value for human medicine. Therefore, this review summarizes the current knowledge on stem cell isolation and characterization in different mammals of veterinary importance.

FIG. 1.

Representative pictures of mammospheres from bovine (A), canine (B), and equine (C) mammary gland tissues.

FIG. 2.

Schematic illustration of the proposed hierarchy of mammary epithelial cells in the bovine mammary gland, based on Rauner and Barash [18] and others.