Reader Comments

Post a new comment on this article

Culture conditions for MCF10A

Posted by mhbh on 10 Jul 2015 at 13:27 GMT

ATCC recommends two culture media for MCF10A; the horse serum containing media used herein and a serum-free media. While we have not compared cells grown in these media side-by-side, MCF10A that are cultivated in serum free media composition exhibit both luminal and basal cell markers in distinct populations, as well as cells expressing both markers suggestive of progenitor population that undergoes lineage commitment, and demonstrate remarkable histiotypic morphogenesis in humanized fat pad (Tang, J., I. Fernandez-Garcia, S. Vijayakumar, H. Martinez-Ruiz, I. Illa-Bochaca, D.H. Nguyen, J.-M. Mao, and M.H. Barcellos-Hoff, Irradiation of juvenile, but not adult, mammary gland increases stem cell self-renewal and estrogen receptor negative tumors. Stem Cells, 2013. 32(3): p. 649-661.) Thus conclusions about the suitability of this model should recognize the non-physiological contribution of serum that may elicit aberrant differentiation.

No competing interests declared.

RE: Culture conditions for MCF10A

xcui-388 replied to mhbh on 11 Jul 2015 at 20:34 GMT

We agree. We originally intended to test the commonly used MCF10A medium -- serum-containing medium. The serum-free medium recommended by ATCC actually was first used for Lonza's primary HMEC. We are now testing different media in culture of HMEC and MCF10A. One of the most surprising findings in our study is the co-expression of milk proteins and basal CKs, which was not detected in human mammary tissue. We wonder whether you saw or checked this coexpression in vivo (10A outgrowths). It is possible that what we saw in vitro was a serum-induced phenotype.

No competing interests declared.