Ductal Macrophages Predominate in the Immune Landscape of the Lactating Mammary Gland.

ABSTRACT: The mammary gland is unique in female mammals. Mammary tissue undergoes development and remodeling during lactation, a stage associated with high susceptibility to bacterial infections, inducing an inflammatory condition called mastitis. Although the immune response of the mammary gland has been the subject of intense research to improve prevention and treatment efficacy, the precise definition of its immune composition at this particular physiological stage is still missing. We combined single-cell RNA-Seq, flow cytometry, and three-dimensional confocal microscopy techniques to characterize the immune landscape of lactating murine mammary tissue. Macrophages dominated the immune cell repertoire and could be subdivided into at least two subsets: ductal and stromal macrophages. Ductal macro

SUBMITTER: Hassel C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8564477 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature