Key stages of mammary gland development: Molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of the embryonic mammary gland
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* Corresponding author: Julie R Hens julie.hens@yale.edu
Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, and Anlyan Center for Medical Research and Education, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Breast Cancer Research 2005, 7:220-224 doi:10.1186/bcr1306
Published: 10 August 2005Abstract
The development of the embryonic mammary gland involves communication between the epidermis and mesenchyme and is coordinated temporally and spatially by various signaling pathways. Although many more genes are likely to control mammary gland development, functional roles have been identified for Wnt, fibroblast growth factor, and parathyroid hormone-related protein signaling. This review describes what is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate embryonic mammary gland development.