At ease

Under normal physiological conditions (known as homeostasis), a delicate balance between life and death of cells keeps us healthy.

But the powerful latent capacity of breast tissue to change and develop is unleashed in response to the hormones associated with pregnancy and lactation.

Bianca’s image shows breast lobules and ducts in their resting state, with luminal cells (purple) held within an outer layer of myoepithelial cells (green). During breastfeeding, luminal cells grow and change to produce milk, which the contractile myoepithelial cells help to expel along the ducts.

Studying the processes that control growth, change and development of cells in the breast is essential to understanding what goes awry in breast cancer.

SECOND PLACE – STILL IMAGE CATEGORY