This work was supported partially by (1) the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity) award #W81XVVH-10-1-0781 to LAL and VE, and (2) the Susan G. Komen Foundation grant IR122224446 to LAL and VE. Pathology support and tissue grossing was kindly provided by Inova Fairfax Pathology Department, Dr. Hassan Nayer, Dr. Geetha A. Menezes, and Dr. Charles Bechert. Patient consent and sample procurement was expertly guided by Inova Fairfax Hospital clinical research coordinators Holly Gallimore, Heather Huryk, and Emil Kamar.

Human breast tissue was collected from patients enrolled in a research study, with written informed consent, following Department of Defense, George Mason University, and Inova Health System Institutional Review Board&#8217;s approved protocols.
1. Prepare Nutrient Rich Medium with Growth Factors and Antibiotics
<ol>
	<li>Prepare stock solutions of insulin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), streptomycin sulfate and gentamicin sulfate.
	<ol>
		<li>Reconstitute insulin in sterile filtered water t...

<ol>
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S., Liotta, L. A., Garbisa, S., Kidwell, W. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Basement+membrane+collagen+requirements+for+attachment+and+growth+of+mammary+epithelium.">Basement membrane collagen requirements for attachment and growth of mammary epithelium.</a> Exp Cell Res. 124 (1), 181-190 (1979).</li><li>Espina, V., Liotta, L. 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J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gene+expression+profiles+of+human+breast+cancer+progression.">Gene expression profiles of human breast cancer progression.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 100 (10), 5974-5979 (2003).</li><li>Schnitt, S. J., Harris, J. R., Smith, B. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Developing+a+prognostic+index+for+ductal+carcinoma+in+situ+of+the+breast.+Are+we+there+yet.">Developing a prognostic index for ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast. Are we there yet.</a> Cancer. 77 (11), 2189-2192 (1996).</li><li>Sgroi, D. 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J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Of+microenvironments+and+mammary+stem+cells.">Of microenvironments and mammary stem cells.</a> Stem Cell Rev. 3 (2), 137-146 (2007).</li><li>Smart, C. E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=In+vitro+analysis+of+breast+cancer+cell+line+tumourspheres+and+primary+human+breast+epithelia+mammospheres+demonstrates+inter-+and+intrasphere+heterogeneity.">In vitro analysis of breast cancer cell line tumourspheres and primary human breast epithelia mammospheres demonstrates inter- and intrasphere heterogeneity.</a> PLoS One. 8 (6), (2013).</li><li>Vaillant, F., Asselin-Labat, M. L., Shackleton, M., Lindeman, G. J., Visvader, J. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+emerging+picture+of+the+mouse+mammary+stem+cell.">The emerging picture of the mouse mammary stem cell.</a> Stem Cell Rev. 3 (2), 114-123 (2007).</li><li>Kim, D. H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Actin+cap+associated+focal+adhesions+and+their+distinct+role+in+cellular+mechanosensing.">Actin cap associated focal adhesions and their distinct role in cellular mechanosensing.</a> Sci Rep. 2, 555 (2012).</li><li>Espina, V., Wysolmerski, J., Edmiston, K., Liotta, L. 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The authors have nothing to disclose.

The culture system described herein constitutes a new model for generating living pre-invasive neoplastic breast cells for basic and translational research studies. In the past, pre-malignant breast cancer progression has typically been studied using three different methods. The first method is histopathologic and genetic analysis of microdissected frozen or fixed human specimens12-14. The second method utilizes mouse models that contain hyperplastic alveolar nodules (HAN lesions) that are thought to be simila...

Proliferation of epithelial cells within the confines of breast ducts and alveoli (ductal carcinoma in situ) is recognized as an obligate precursor to invasive ductal and lobular breast carcinoma. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms and cell population dynamics that permit progression to invasive cancer are poorly understood. Elucidating the survival mechanisms used by pre-invasive breast carcinoma cells, or any pre-invasive tumor, may reveal therapeutic strategies for killing, or even preventing, pre-invasive neoplasms1. However, simple low-cost methods for functionally studying human pre-invasive lesions have been lacking. Although in vitro monolayer culture of transformed cell lines is an established laboratory method, the phenotype and genotype of these immortalized cell lines fails to recapitulate the molecular status of primary human tumor cells2. Furthermore, even the non-tumorigenic MCF-10A cell line, which recapitulates 3-D mammary gland architecture, fails to adequately represent the functional phenotype and molecular characteristics of an individual patient&#8217;s pre-invasive breast lesion3,4.
To determine if stem-like neoplastic cells capable of invasion existed within the ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) cell population, we developed a methodology for collecting and culturing sterile human breast tissue at the time of surgery (Figure 1)5. Our ex vivo breast organoid culture system does not rely on enzymatic tissue disruption, basement membrane extract matrix, or fibroblast depletion, for isolating and propagating mammosphere-forming cells from fresh human breast ductal carcinoma tissue6-8. Our new system is based on the principle of cell streaming/migration5. The discernible breast ducts, and surrounding stroma are submerged in a minimum volume of serum-free nutrient medium (just enough to cover the duct fragments) to maximize gas exchange, with the cut surface of the duct exposed to the culture medium, but in no specific orientation in the flask (Figure 1E-F). This culture system allows cells to migrate out of the duct and into/onto the autologous stroma and culture flask. The nutrient medium, supplemented only with Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), insulin, and antibiotics, supports growth of mixed cell populations emanating from the organoid. The tissue culture flask has a removable, re-sealable lid that allows the organoids and/or cells to be harvested without disrupting the entire flask or neighboring organoids, while maintaining a sterile humidified environment.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="1024">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">Name of Reagent/ Equipment</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td style="width:365px;">Comments/Description</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">Ethanol</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A405-P</td>
			<td>prepare a 70% solution in Type 1 reagent grade water</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">18 M&#937;-cm water, sterile filtered</td>
			<td style="width:187px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>sterile filtered, Type 1 reagent grade water</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">10cc plastic disposable syringe, sterile</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">BD</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">305482</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">0.2&#181;m polyethersulfone (PES) syringe filter, sterile</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">194-2520</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">15ml polypropylene conical tubes, sterile</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Fisher</td>
			<td>14-959-49B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">50ml polypropylene conical tubes, sterile</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Fisher</td>
			<td>05-539-6</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">1.5ml low retention microcentrifuge tubes,sterile</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">02-681-331</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">nutrient medium, DMEM-F12/HEPES</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">11330-032</td>
			<td>with L-glutamine</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Insulin, human recombinant</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Roche</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">11376497001</td>
			<td>10mg/ml stock</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), human recombinant</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Millipore</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">GF144</td>
			<td>100&#181;g/ml stock</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Streptomycin sulfate</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">S1567</td>
			<td>10mg/ml stock</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Gentamicin sulfate</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">G19114</td>
			<td>10mg/ml stock</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Filtration flask and filter top, sterile</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Millipore</td>
			<td>SCGPU02RE</td>
			<td>0.22&#181;m PES membrane</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">25ml sterile, disposable pipettes</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Fisher</td>
			<td>4489</td>
			<td>paper-plastic wrapped</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">10ml sterile, disposable pipettes</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">4488</td>
			<td>paper-plastic wrapped</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="44">
			<td height="44" style="height:44px;width:353px;">Tissue marking dyes (black, blue, red, green, yellow and orange)</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">CDI</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">MD2000</td>
			<td style="width:365px;">after opening use only with single-use, sterile cotton tipped applicators, or use once and discard</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">Cotton tipped applicators, sterile</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Fisher</td>
			<td>23-400-115</td>
			<td>single use only</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">Gauze pads, 10x10cm, sterile</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">2187</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Plastic transfer pipettes, sterile, disposable</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Samco</td>
			<td>202-20S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="43">
			<td height="43" style="height:43px;">Vinegar, white distilled</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">household use</td>
			<td></td>
			<td style="width:365px;">5% acetic acid; after opening use only with sterile pipettes</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">#10 scalpels, sterile, disposable&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>31-200-32&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">petri dish, sterile</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Fisher</td>
			<td>FB0875713A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;">TPP 115cm2 flask, with removable lid</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">MidSci</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">90652</td>
			<td>screw cap with filter</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="26">
			<td height="26" style="height:26px;width:353px;">CO2 incubator</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Fisher</td>
			<td>13-998-074</td>
			<td>5% CO2, 37 oC, humidified chamber</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">inverted light microscope</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Olypmus</td>
			<td>IX51</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">8M urea</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">BP169-500</td>
			<td>optional, for mass spectrophotometric analysis of cultured cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">2X SDS tris-glycine buffer</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Life Technologies</td>
			<td>LC2676</td>
			<td>optional, for proteomic analysis of cultured cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:353px;">Cytocentrifuge</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>A78300003</td>
			<td>optional, for preparing cell smears</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

non-enzymatic, serum-free tissue culture of pre-invasive breast lesions for spontaneous generation of mammospheres

Breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), by definition, is proliferation of neoplastic epithelial cells within the confines of the breast duct, without breaching the collagenous basement membrane. While DCIS is a non-obligate precursor to invasive breast cancers, the molecular mechanisms and cell populations that permit progression to invasive cancer are not fully known. To determine if progenitor cells capable of invasion existed within the DCIS cell population, we developed a methodology for collecting and culturing sterile human breast tissue at the time of surgery, without enzymatic disruption of tissue.
Sterile breast tissue containing ductal segments is harvested from surgically excised breast tissue following routine pathological examination. Tissue containing DCIS is placed in nutrient rich, antibiotic-containing, serum free medium, and transported to the tissue culture laboratory. The breast tissue is further dissected to isolate the calcified areas. Multiple breast tissue pieces (organoids) are placed in a minimal volume of serum free medium in a flask with a removable lid and cultured in a humidified CO2 incubator. Epithelial and fibroblast cell populations emerge from the organoid after 10 - 14 days. Mammospheres spontaneously form on and around the epithelial cell monolayer. Specific cell populations can be harvested directly from the flask without disrupting neighboring cells. Our non-enzymatic tissue culture system reliably reveals cytogenetically abnormal, invasive progenitor cells from fresh human DCIS lesions.

Workflow for procuring and culturing sterile breast ductal carcinoma in situ tissue
Breast tissue sterility is maintained from the operating room to the cell culture lab via minor changes in typical hospital pathology workflow (Figure 1). Tissue is transported in a sterile container with a plastic film cover which allows radiologic assessment while maintaining tissue sterility. Gross tissue processing of a breast lumpectomy or mastectomy sample is performed with sterile ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Non-enzymatic, Serum-free Tissue Culture of Pre-invasive Breast Lesions for Spontaneous Generation of Mammospheres at JoVE.com

Non-enzymatic, Serum-free Tissue Culture of Pre-invasive Breast Lesions for Spontaneous Generation of Mammospheres

Primary cell culture using intact tissue organoids provides a model system that mimics the multi-cellular in vivo microenvironment. We developed a serum-free primary breast epithelium tissue culture model that perpetuates mixed cell culture lineages and exhibits differentiated morphology, without enzymatic tissue disruption. Breast organoids remain viable for &#62;6 months.

Breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), by definition, is proliferation of neoplastic epithelial cells within the confines of the breast duct, without ...

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12.5K Views.  George Mason University. Primary cell culture using intact tissue organoids provides a model system that mimics the multi-cellular in vivo microenvironment. We developed a serum-free primary breast epithelium tissue culture model that perpetuates mixed cell culture lineages and exhibits differentiated morphology, without enzymatic tissue disruption. Breast organoids remain viable for >6 months.