Next-generation transcriptome sequencing of the premenopausal breast epithelium using specimens from a normal human breast tissue bank

Ivanesa Pardo, Heather A Lillemoe, Rachel J Blosser, MiRan Choi, Candice A M Sauder, Diane K Doxey, Theresa Mathieson, Bradley A Hancock, Dadrie Baptiste, Rutuja Atale, Matthew Hickenbotham, Jin Zhu, Jarret Glasscock, Anna Maria V Storniolo, Faye Zheng, RW Doerge, Yunlong Liu, Sunil Badve, Milan Radovich, Susan E Clare

Our efforts to prevent and treat breast cancer are significantly impeded by a lack of knowledge of the biology and developmental genetics of the normal mammary gland. In order to provide the specimens that will facilitate such an understanding, The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center (KTB) was established. The KTB is, to our knowledge, the only biorepository in the world prospectively established to collect normal, healthy breast tissue from volunteer donors. As a first initiative toward a molecular understanding of the biology and developmental genetics of the normal mammary gland, the effect of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptives on DNA expression in the normal breast epithelium was examined.