Reconstituted human breast tumor models are disclosed. The models, which are incorporated into mice, provide actual tumors that arise spontaneously, thereby mimicking naturally occurring breast cancer. The tumors are genetically human, because they arise from human mammary tissues that develop from human mammary epithelial cells implanted into host mice, Prior to implantation, the mammary epithelial cells are genetically modified to contain either: (a) a recombinant human oncogene and an SV40er or (b) a recombinant human oncogene, a transgene or shRNA that inhibits the p53 pathway, and a transgene or shRNA that inhibits the Rb pathway.
