Abstract
Summary
We have described an in vivo model system for the study of the growth and development of organized thyroid epithelial structures. These epithelial structures respond to various hormonal manipulations in a manner identical to that described for the thyroid gland in situ. The light and ultrastructural morphology of the follicular epithelial cells correlate well with that described for thyroid cells in intact glands exposed to similar hormonal manipulations. Therefore, we believe that follicular units which develop after transplantation of monodispersed thyroid cells serve as excellent models for the study of thyroid development and response in vivo. This model provides the further advantage of a quantitative approach for the investigation of epithelial cell growth and differentiation, of responses to environmental fluctuations, aspects of cell structure and function, and carcinogenesis.
The authors wish to thank Joan M. Mitchen for her excellent technical assistance throughout the course of these studies.
This investigation was supported in part by the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant IN-35P, American Cancer Society Grant PDT-86, and by Program Grant 1 PO1 CA 19278 and Clinical Cancer Center Support (Comprehensive) 5 P30 CA 14520 awarded to the Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute, DHEW. R.T.M. is a predoctoral trainee, National Cancer Institute Training Grant TO1 CA 05104.
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