For nearly a century, the rat has served as a key model for studying the pathophysiology and genetic risk modifiers of breast cancer. Rat mammary tumors that initiate after exposure to carcinogens or estrogens closely resemble the etiological, histopathological, and genomic features of human breast cancer. Recent developments in genome-editing techniques in the rat have also enabled the development of sophisticated models for identifying the genetic modifiers of the nonmalignant tumor microenvironment that contribute to the formation, progression, and outcome of breast cancer. In this protocol review, we discuss the current methodologies for the three genetic mapping techniques in the rat that are widely used for identifying and testing the heritable genetic modifiers of breast cancer.
Keywords: Breast cancer; Genetics; Rat; Tumor microenvironment.