Table 1 Comparison of mammary organoids derived from mammoplasty tissue, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and human milk based on key properties.61,114,127,128,129,130
From: Human milk: insights on cell composition, organoids and emerging applications
Properties | Mammoplasty tissue | Induced pluripotent stem cells (ipsc) | Human milk |
|---|---|---|---|
Stemness | Multipotent | Pluripotent | Multipotent |
Teratoma formation | No risk | High risk | No risk |
Differentiation | Already differentiated | Needs multiple growth factors and differentiation protocols | Already differentiated |
Collection | Invasive (requires surgery) | Non-invasive (requires reprogramming of somatic cells) | Non-invasive (milk is collected from lactating women) |
Production cost | Moderate to high cost | Very expensive | Low to moderate cost |
Long-term propagation | Difficult, as they are primary cells | Easy, stable lines may be established | Difficult, as they are primary cells |
Cell isolation | Easy, via digestion or mincing method | Reprogramming is challenging | Difficult, due to low viability and cell count |
Variation | Donor dependent variation | Low variation once cell line is established | Donor and batch dependent variation |
Breast physiology | Mimics breast tissue closely | Close, but not 100% (requires precise differentiation cues) | Mimics lactating cell physiology |
Cell availability | Limited to tissue donors | Unlimited with proper culture methods | Limited by availability and lactation stage |
Ethical considerations | Involves surgical procedures, raising ethical concerns | Ethical concerns related to reprogramming and genetic modifications | Few ethical concerns because of non-invasive collection |
Application in research | Suitable for direct mammary studies and personalized medication | Highly versatile for modeling and regenerative studies | Useful for studying lactation specific pathways |
