Advances in Mammary Gland Biology and Lactation of Ruminants: Second Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Apart from its milk-producing function, the mammary gland is a unique mammalian organ in two major ways. First, it is almost invariably sited outside of the body cavity, and second, it grows and regresses several times during the animal’s life. Being isolated from the body helps to protect the body from infections that are common in the mammary gland due to the suitability of the intramammary environment for microorganisms, and the gland has both local and systemic methods of protection to combat mastitis. Being isolated also facilitates the growth and regression of the gland by separating the many growth factors that are involved from other body organs (where they might cause chaos). Add to these functions the mechanism by which the gland produces colostrum to provide offspring with immunological competence as well as with milk, both of which are produced in amounts and compositions that are appropriate for the species and the offspring. This surely indicates that the mammary gland is one of the most complicated and fascinating organs.

It has been seven years since Michael Akers wrote the 100-year review on mammary development and lactation, in which he pointed out that despite great advances in knowledge, the fundamental questions regarding mammary development and lactation have changed little. The more we discover, the more questions are raised, and this has resulted in many groups studying a wide variety of lactation-related topics. If we also consider the many different types of dairy animals and production systems being studied, there is a huge amount of research happening in relation to mammary biology. Thus, the plan for this Special Issue is to highlight research in mammary biology and lactation in ruminants.

Considering the success of our previous Special Issue, we are pleased to launch “Advances in Mammary Gland Biology and Lactation of Ruminants: Second Edition”. We welcome the submission of research articles and literature reviews.

Dr. Sam Peterson
Guest Editor

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