BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Milky Way

Local immune cells can help or endanger breast tissue

13 February 2019

Milky Way

High-resolution microscopy allows researchers to explore how breast tissue swells and remodels during pregnancy to produce milk. Shown here is a mammary gland during lactation. Milk-filled spheres are surrounded by muscle cells (in yellow) that contract and relax to squeeze milk into the branch-like ducts. Visualising exactly how the tissue develops across three dimensions is not straightforward. The scientists used confocal microscopes to image large areas of breast tissue, then analysed the images with automated tools to track thousands of cells and tissue structures over time. Helping the breast cells to develop healthily during puberty, pregnancy and breastfeeding are local immune cells (lilac). These rare but important cells survey the tissue for infection. However, they can also play a more sinister role, co-operating with cancer cells to help them to evade detection by the broader immune system. Understanding these complex interactions could provide clues for how breast cancer develops.

Written by Deborah Oakley

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.