Informace o projektu
Deciphering the mechanisms of mammary epithelial branched pattern formation through iterative biological and mathematical modelling
- Kód projektu
- MUNI/G/1446/2018
- Období řešení
- 3/2019 - 6/2022
- Investor / Programový rámec / typ projektu
-
Masarykova univerzita
- Grantová agentura MU
- INTERDISCIPLINARY - Mezioborové výzkumné projekty
- Fakulta / Pracoviště MU
- Lékařská fakulta
- Další fakulta/pracoviště MU
- Fakulta informatiky
Many organs of higher animals, such as lung and mammary gland, are composed of heavily branched epithelial structures. The branching process enables a large increase in the epithelial surface area for functional purposes to support fundamental physiological functions. Despite major advances in understanding the mechanisms that determine stereotypic branching morphogenesis of the lung, the mechanisms that regulate stochastic branching of mammary epithelium have remained rather elusive.
In this project, we will apply mathematical modelling, force-inference techniques from civil engineering and computational simulations to experimental data obtained from advanced, physiologically relevant in vitro models of mammary epithelial branching morphogenesis using automated image-analysis to decipher the mechanisms of mammary epithelial branched pattern formation. More specifically, we will investigate the role of FGF2 signalling intensity, myoepithelial cells and mechanical forces in regulation of mammary epithelial branching morphogenesis. To this end, we will develop and use deep-learning-based pipelines for segmentation and tracking of 3D organoids as well as individual cells in data from time-lapse microscopy imaging and a computational model of FGF2-induced mammary organoid branching that will comprehend the complex interplay of cell signalling and mechanical forces. Our approach will be highly iterative: The data obtained from biological experiments will inform modelling choices and feed computational simulations, results of which will stimulate design of new experiments. Implementation of this multidisciplinary iterative approach will allow for both hypothesis testing and discovery to unravel key mechanisms of mammary epithelial branching.
This multidisciplinary study will contribute to understanding general principles of branching morphogenesis as well as identification of key aspects of normal and pathological cell behaviours.
Publikace
Počet publikací: 13
2024
-
Fibroblast-induced mammary epithelial branching depends on fibroblast contractility
PLOS BIOLOGY, rok: 2024, ročník: 22, vydání: 1, DOI
2023
-
Segmentation and Tracking of Mammary Epithelial Organoids in Brightfield Microscopy
IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, rok: 2023, ročník: 42, vydání: 1, DOI
2022
-
An Organotypic Assay to Study Epithelial-Fibroblast Interactions in Human Breast
Mammary Stem Cells, rok: 2022, počet stran: 17 s.
-
Implicit Neural Representations for Generative Modeling of Living Cell Shapes
International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention, rok: 2022
-
Single organoid droplet-based staining method for high-end 3D imaging of mammary organoids
Mammary Stem Cells, rok: 2022, počet stran: 11 s.
2021
-
A Robust Mammary Organoid System to Model Lactation and Involution-like Processes
Bio-protocol, rok: 2021, ročník: 11, vydání: 8, DOI
-
Fibroblasts: The grey eminence of mammary gland development
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, rok: 2021, ročník: 114, vydání: JUN 2021, DOI
2020
-
Editorial: Perspectives in Mammary Gland Development and Breast Cancer Research
Rok: 2020, druh: Článek v odborném periodiku (nerecenzovaný)
-
Mammary Organoids and 3D Cell Cultures: Old Dogs with New Tricks
Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia, rok: 2020, ročník: 25, vydání: 4, DOI
-
Primary Mammary Organoid Model of Lactation and Involution
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, rok: 2020, ročník: 8, vydání: MAR 2020, DOI