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Sobczuk P, Brodziak A, Khan MI, Chhabra S, Fiedorowicz M, Wełniak-Kamińska M, Synoradzki K, Bartnik E, Cudnoch-Jędrzejewska A, Czarnecka AM. Choosing The Right Animal Model for Renal Cancer Research. Transl Oncol 2020; 13:100745. [PMID: 32092671 PMCID: PMC7036425 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The increase in the life expectancy of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the last decade is due to changes that have occurred in the area of preclinical studies. Understanding cancer pathophysiology and the emergence of new therapeutic options, including immunotherapy, would not be possible without proper research. Before new approaches to disease treatment are developed and introduced into clinical practice they must be preceded by preclinical tests, in which animal studies play a significant role. This review describes the progress in animal model development in kidney cancer research starting from the oldest syngeneic or chemically-induced models, through genetically modified mice, finally to xenograft, especially patient-derived, avatar and humanized mouse models. As there are a number of subtypes of RCC, our aim is to help to choose the right animal model for a particular kidney cancer subtype. The data on genetic backgrounds, biochemical parameters, histology, different stages of carcinogenesis and metastasis in various animal models of RCC as well as their translational relevance are summarized. Moreover, we shed some light on imaging methods, which can help define tumor microstructure, assist in the analysis of its metabolic changes and track metastasis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Sobczuk
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Centre for Preclinical Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Anna Brodziak
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Centre for Preclinical Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Mohammed Imran Khan
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Stuti Chhabra
- Department of Biochemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
| | - Michał Fiedorowicz
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego Str., Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Marlena Wełniak-Kamińska
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego Str., Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Kamil Synoradzki
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego Str., Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Ewa Bartnik
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Agnieszka Cudnoch-Jędrzejewska
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Centre for Preclinical Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Anna M Czarnecka
- Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego Str., Warsaw, Poland.
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Cevenini L, Calabretta MM, Calabria D, Roda A, Michelini E. Luciferase Genes as Reporter Reactions: How to Use Them in Molecular Biology? ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2018; 154:3-17. [PMID: 25898810 DOI: 10.1007/10_2015_325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
: The latest advances in molecular biology have made available several biotechnological tools that take advantage of the high detectability and quantum efficiency of bioluminescence (BL), with an ever-increasing number of novel applications in environmental, pharmaceutical, food, and forensic fields. Indeed, BL proteins are being used to develop ultrasensitive binding assays and cell-based assays, thanks to their high detectability and to the availability of highly sensitive BL instruments. The appealing aspect of molecular biology tools relying on BL reactions is their general applicability in both in vitro assays, such as cell cultures or purified proteins, and in vivo settings, such as in whole-animal BL imaging. The aim of this chapter is to provide the reader with an overview of state-of-the-art bioluminescent tools based on luciferase genes, highlighting molecular biology strategies that have been applied so far, together with some selected examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Cevenini
- Dept. of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - M M Calabretta
- Dept. of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - D Calabria
- Dept. of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - A Roda
- Dept. of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - E Michelini
- Dept. of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
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Stevens LE, Arnal-Estapé A, Nguyen DX. Pre-Conditioning the Airways of Mice with Bleomycin Increases the Efficiency of Orthotopic Lung Cancer Cell Engraftment. J Vis Exp 2018:56650. [PMID: 30010648 PMCID: PMC6102009 DOI: 10.3791/56650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is a deadly treatment refractory disease that is biologically heterogeneous. To understand and effectively treat the full clinical spectrum of thoracic malignancies, additional animal models that can recapitulate diverse human lung cancer subtypes and stages are needed. Allograft or xenograft models are versatile and enable the quantification of tumorigenic capacity in vivo, using malignant cells of either murine or human origin. However, previously described methods of lung cancer cell engraftment have been performed in non-physiological sites, such as the flank of mice, due to the inefficiency of orthotopic transplantation of cells into the lungs. In this study, we describe a method to enhance orthotopic lung cancer cell engraftment by pre-conditioning the airways of mice with the fibrosis inducing agent bleomycin. As a proof-of-concept experiment, we applied this approach to engraft tumor cells of the lung adenocarcinoma subtype, obtained from either mouse or human sources, into various strains of mice. We demonstrate that injuring the airways with bleomycin prior to tumor cell injection increases the engraftment of tumor cells from 0-17% to 71-100%. Significantly, this method enhanced lung tumor incidence and subsequent outgrowth using different models and mouse strains. In addition, engrafted lung cancer cells disseminate from the lungs into relevant distant organs. Thus, we provide a protocol that can be used to establish and maintain new orthotopic models of lung cancer with limiting amounts of cells or biospecimen and to quantitatively assess the tumorigenic capacity of lung cancer cells in physiologically relevant settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Don X Nguyen
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine; Department of Medical Oncology, Yale University School of Medicine;
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Abt MA, Grek CL, Ghatnekar GS, Yeh ES. Evaluation of Lung Metastasis in Mouse Mammary Tumor Models by Quantitative Real-time PCR. J Vis Exp 2016:e53329. [PMID: 26862835 DOI: 10.3791/53329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic disease is the spread of malignant tumor cells from the primary cancer site to a distant organ and is the primary cause of cancer associated death. Common sites of metastatic spread include lung, lymph node, brain, and bone. Mechanisms that drive metastasis are intense areas of cancer research. Consequently, effective assays to measure metastatic burden in distant sites of metastasis are instrumental for cancer research. Evaluation of lung metastases in mammary tumor models is generally performed by gross qualitative observation of lung tissue following dissection. Quantitative methods of evaluating metastasis are currently limited to ex vivo and in vivo imaging based techniques that require user defined parameters. Many of these techniques are at the whole organism level rather than the cellular level. Although newer imaging methods utilizing multi-photon microscopy are able to evaluate metastasis at the cellular level, these highly elegant procedures are more suited to evaluating mechanisms of dissemination rather than quantitative assessment of metastatic burden. Here, a simple in vitro method to quantitatively assess metastasis is presented. Using quantitative Real-time PCR (QRT-PCR), tumor cell specific mRNA can be detected within the mouse lung tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Abt
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina
| | | | | | - Elizabeth S Yeh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina;
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Elias KM, Emori MM, Papp E, MacDuffie E, Konecny GE, Velculescu VE, Drapkin R. Beyond genomics: critical evaluation of cell line utility for ovarian cancer research. Gynecol Oncol 2015; 139:97-103. [PMID: 26321251 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2015.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2015] [Revised: 08/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Comparisons of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) with high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) cell lines used in research reveal that many common experimental models lack defining genomic characteristics seen in patient tumors. As cell lines exist with higher genomic fidelity to TCGA, this study aimed to evaluate the utility of these cell lines as tools for preclinical investigation. METHODS We compared two HGSOC cell lines with supposed high genomic fidelity to TCGA, KURAMOCHI and OVSAHO, with the most commonly cited ovarian cancer cell line, SKOV3, which has poor genomic fidelity to TCGA. The lines were analyzed for genomic alterations, in vitro performance, and growth in murine xenografts. RESULTS Using targeted next generation sequencing analyses, we determined that each line had a distinct mutation profile, including alterations in TP53, and copy number variation of specific genes. KURAMOCHI and OVSAHO better recapitulated serous carcinoma morphology than SKOV3. All lines expressed PAX8 and stathmin, but KURAMOCHI and OVSAHO did not express CK7. KURAMOCHI was significantly more platinum sensitive than OVSAHO and SKOV3. Unlike SKOV3, KURAMOCHI and OVSAHO engrafted poorly in subcutaneous xenografts. KURAMOCHI and OVSAHO grew best after intraperitoneal injection in SCID mice and recapitulated miliary disease while SKOV3 grew in all murine systems and formed oligometastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS The research utility of HGSOC cell line models requires a comprehensive assessment of genomic as well as in vitro and in vivo properties. Cell lines with closer genomic fidelity to human tumors may have limitations in performance for preclinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Elias
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Megan M Emori
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Eniko Papp
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | | | - Gottfried E Konecny
- University of California Los Angeles, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Victor E Velculescu
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Ronny Drapkin
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Wang Y, Tseng JC, Sun Y, Beck AH, Kung AL. Noninvasive imaging of tumor burden and molecular pathways in mouse models of cancer. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2015; 2015:135-44. [PMID: 25646505 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top069930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Imaging plays a central role in the diagnosis of cancer and the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy in patients with cancer. Because macroscopic imaging is noninvasive and quantitative, the development of specialized instruments for small animals has spurred increasing utilization in preclinical cancer studies. Some small-animal imaging devices are miniaturized derivatives of clinical imaging modalities, including computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron-emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, and ultrasonography. Optical imaging, including bioluminescence imaging and fluorescence imaging, has evolved from microscopic cellular imaging technologies. Here, we review how current imaging modalities are enabling high-resolution structural imaging with micrometer-scale spatial resolution, thus allowing for the quantification of tumor burden in genetically engineered and orthotopic models of cancer, where tumors develop within organs not typically accessible to measurements with calipers. Beyond measuring tumor size, imaging is increasingly being used to assess the activity of molecular pathways within tumors and to reveal the pharmacodynamic efficacy of targeted therapies. Each imaging technology has particular strengths and limitations, and we discuss how studies should be carefully designed to match the imaging approach to the primary experimental question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchuan Wang
- Lurie Family Imaging Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Jen-Chieh Tseng
- Lurie Family Imaging Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Yanping Sun
- Lurie Family Imaging Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Andrew H Beck
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - Andrew L Kung
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032
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