In Vivo Imaging of Mammary Epithelial Cell Dynamics in Response to Lineage-Biased Wnt/β-Catenin Activation

This study utilized real-time intravital imaging combined with genetic lineage tracing to observe the effects of active Wnt/β-catenin signaling on mammary epithelial cells. The researchers found that stabilizing β-catenin in either luminal or basal mammary epithelial lineages caused cellular rearrangements that led to the development of hyperplastic lesions with squamous transdifferentiation. These findings suggest that β-catenin activation in mammary cells promotes a differentiation program similar to that of hair follicles and epidermis, regardless of the original cell lineage. This research provides insight into the initial stages of hyperplastic lesion formation and the role of β-catenin in mammary neoplastic development.