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Lawrence JM, Tan SH, Kim DC, Tan KE, Schroeder SE, Yeo KS, Schaefer MA, Sosic AM, Zhu S. Diverse Engraftment Capability of Neuroblastoma Cell Lines in Zebrafish Larvae. Zebrafish 2024. [PMID: 39316469 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2024.0160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Xenotransplantation of neuroblastoma cells into larval zebrafish allows the characterization of their in vivo tumorigenic abilities and high-throughput treatment screening. This established preclinical model traditionally relies on microinjection into the yolk or perivitelline space, leaving the engraftment ability of cells at the hindbrain ventricle (HBV) and pericardial space (PCS), sites valuable for evaluating metastasis, angiogenesis, and the brain microenvironment, unknown. To address this gap in knowledge, Casper zebrafish at 48 h postfertilization were microinjected with approximately 200 Kelly, Be(2)-C, SK-N-AS, or SY5Y cells into either the HBV or PCS. Fish were imaged at 1, 3, and 6 days postinjection and tumor growth was monitored at each timepoint. We hypothesized that engraftment ability and location preference would be cell line dependent. Kelly and SK-N-AS cells were able to engraft at both the HBV and PCS, with a near doubling in size of tumor volume during the 6 days observation period, with cells appearing to grow better in the HBV. Be(2)-C tumors remained static while SY5Y tumors decreased in size, with almost complete loss of volume at both sites. Therefore, the capability of neuroblastoma cell engraftment in zebrafish larvae is cell line dependent with a location preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine M Lawrence
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Shyang Hong Tan
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Daniel C Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ke-En Tan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sydney E Schroeder
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kok Siong Yeo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Madison A Schaefer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Alexis M Sosic
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Shizhen Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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2
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Michael C, Mendonça-Gomes JM, DePaolo CW, Di Cristofano A, de Oliveira S. A zebrafish xenotransplant model of anaplastic thyroid cancer to study tumor microenvironment and innate immune cell interactions in vivo. Endocr Relat Cancer 2024; 31:e230195. [PMID: 38657656 PMCID: PMC11160356 DOI: 10.1530/erc-23-0195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is of the most aggressive thyroid cancer. While ATC is rare, it accounts for a disproportionately high number of thyroid cancer-related deaths. Here, we developed an ATC xenotransplant model in zebrafish larvae, where we can study tumorigenesis and therapeutic response in vivo. Using both mouse (T4888M) and human (C643)-derived fluorescently labeled ATC cell lines, we show these cell lines display different engraftment rates, mass volume, proliferation, cell death, angiogenic potential, and neutrophil and macrophage recruitment and infiltration. Next, using a PIP-FUCCI reporter to track proliferation in vivo, we observed cells in each phase of the cell cycle. Additionally, we performed long-term non-invasive intravital microscopy over 48 h to understand cellular dynamics in the tumor microenvironment at the single-cell level. Lastly, we tested two drug treatments, AZD2014 and a combination therapy of dabrafenib and trametinib, to show our model could be used as an effective screening platform for new therapeutic compounds for ATC. Altogether, we show that zebrafish xenotransplants make a great model to study thyroid carcinogenesis and the tumor microenvironment, while also being a suitable model to test new therapeutics in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassia Michael
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Clinton Walton DePaolo
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Antonio Di Cristofano
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine (Oncology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Cancer Dormancy Tumor Microenvironment Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Sofia de Oliveira
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine (Hepatology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
- Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Cancer Dormancy Tumor Microenvironment Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
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3
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Costa B, Estrada MF, Gomes A, Fernandez LM, Azevedo JM, Póvoa V, Fontes M, Alves A, Galzerano A, Castillo-Martin M, Herrando I, Brandão S, Carneiro C, Nunes V, Carvalho C, Parvaiz A, Marreiros A, Fior R. Zebrafish Avatar-test forecasts clinical response to chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4771. [PMID: 38839755 PMCID: PMC11153622 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49051-0] [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] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer patients often undergo rounds of trial-and-error to find the most effective treatment because there is no test in the clinical practice for predicting therapy response. Here, we conduct a clinical study to validate the zebrafish patient-derived xenograft model (zAvatar) as a fast predictive platform for personalized treatment in colorectal cancer. zAvatars are generated with patient tumor cells, treated exactly with the same therapy as their corresponding patient and analyzed at single-cell resolution. By individually comparing the clinical responses of 55 patients with their zAvatar-test, we develop a decision tree model integrating tumor stage, zAvatar-apoptosis, and zAvatar-metastatic potential. This model accurately forecasts patient progression with 91% accuracy. Importantly, patients with a sensitive zAvatar-test exhibit longer progression-free survival compared to those with a resistant test. We propose the zAvatar-test as a rapid approach to guide clinical decisions, optimizing treatment options and improving the survival of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Costa
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Marta F Estrada
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - António Gomes
- Surgery Unit, Hospital Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, Portugal
| | - Laura M Fernandez
- Colorectal Surgery Department, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - José M Azevedo
- Colorectal Surgery Department, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Vanda Póvoa
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Márcia Fontes
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - António Alves
- Institute of Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - António Galzerano
- Pathology Service, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mireia Castillo-Martin
- Pathology Service, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ignacio Herrando
- Colorectal Surgery Department, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Shermann Brandão
- Digestive Unit, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carla Carneiro
- Surgery Unit, Hospital Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, Portugal
| | - Vítor Nunes
- Surgery Unit, Hospital Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, Portugal
| | - Carlos Carvalho
- Digestive Unit, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Amjad Parvaiz
- Colorectal Surgery Department, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Marreiros
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Rita Fior
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.
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4
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Alberti G, Amico MD, Caruso Bavisotto C, Rappa F, Marino Gammazza A, Bucchieri F, Cappello F, Scalia F, Szychlinska MA. Speeding up Glioblastoma Cancer Research: Highlighting the Zebrafish Xenograft Model. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5394. [PMID: 38791432 PMCID: PMC11121320 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a very aggressive and lethal primary brain cancer in adults. The multifaceted nature of GBM pathogenesis, rising from complex interactions between cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME), has posed great treatment challenges. Despite significant scientific efforts, the prognosis for GBM remains very poor, even after intensive treatment with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Efficient GBM management still requires the invention of innovative treatment strategies. There is a strong necessity to complete cancer in vitro studies and in vivo studies to properly evaluate the mechanisms of tumor progression within the complex TME. In recent years, the animal models used to study GBM tumors have evolved, achieving highly invasive GBM models able to provide key information on the molecular mechanisms of GBM onset. At present, the most commonly used animal models in GBM research are represented by mammalian models, such as mouse and canine ones. However, the latter present several limitations, such as high cost and time-consuming management, making them inappropriate for large-scale anticancer drug evaluation. In recent years, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model has emerged as a valuable tool for studying GBM. It has shown great promise in preclinical studies due to numerous advantages, such as its small size, its ability to generate a large cohort of genetically identical offspring, and its rapid development, permitting more time- and cost-effective management and high-throughput drug screening when compared to mammalian models. Moreover, due to its transparent nature in early developmental stages and genetic and anatomical similarities with humans, it allows for translatable brain cancer research and related genetic screening and drug discovery. For this reason, the aim of the present review is to highlight the potential of relevant transgenic and xenograft zebrafish models and to compare them to the traditionally used animal models in GBM research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusi Alberti
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.A.); (M.D.A.); (C.C.B.); (F.R.); (A.M.G.); (F.B.); (F.C.); (F.S.)
| | - Maria Denise Amico
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.A.); (M.D.A.); (C.C.B.); (F.R.); (A.M.G.); (F.B.); (F.C.); (F.S.)
| | - Celeste Caruso Bavisotto
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.A.); (M.D.A.); (C.C.B.); (F.R.); (A.M.G.); (F.B.); (F.C.); (F.S.)
- Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology (IEMEST), 90139 Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesca Rappa
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.A.); (M.D.A.); (C.C.B.); (F.R.); (A.M.G.); (F.B.); (F.C.); (F.S.)
- The Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonella Marino Gammazza
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.A.); (M.D.A.); (C.C.B.); (F.R.); (A.M.G.); (F.B.); (F.C.); (F.S.)
| | - Fabio Bucchieri
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.A.); (M.D.A.); (C.C.B.); (F.R.); (A.M.G.); (F.B.); (F.C.); (F.S.)
| | - Francesco Cappello
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.A.); (M.D.A.); (C.C.B.); (F.R.); (A.M.G.); (F.B.); (F.C.); (F.S.)
- Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology (IEMEST), 90139 Palermo, Italy
| | - Federica Scalia
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.A.); (M.D.A.); (C.C.B.); (F.R.); (A.M.G.); (F.B.); (F.C.); (F.S.)
| | - Marta Anna Szychlinska
- Department of Precision Medicine in Medical, Surgical and Critical Care (Me.Pre.C.C.), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
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5
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Fieuws C, Bek JW, Parton B, De Neef E, De Wever O, Hoorne M, Estrada MF, Van Dorpe J, Denys H, Van de Vijver K, Claes KBM. Zebrafish Avatars: Toward Functional Precision Medicine in Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1812. [PMID: 38791891 PMCID: PMC11120355 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16101812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is an umbrella term for cancerous malignancies affecting the ovaries, yet treatment options for all subtypes are predominantly derived from high-grade serous ovarian cancer, the largest subgroup. The concept of "functional precision medicine" involves gaining personalized insights on therapy choice, based on direct exposure of patient tissues to drugs. This especially holds promise for rare subtypes like low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC). This study aims to establish an in vivo model for LGSOC using zebrafish embryos, comparing treatment responses previously observed in mouse PDX models, cell lines and 3D tumor models. To address this goal, a well-characterized patient-derived LGSOC cell line with the KRAS mutation c.35 G>T (p.(Gly12Val)) was used. Fluorescently labeled tumor cells were injected into the perivitelline space of 2 days' post-fertilization zebrafish embryos. At 1 day post-injection, xenografts were assessed for tumor size, followed by random allocation into treatment groups with trametinib, luminespib and trametinib + luminespib. Subsequently, xenografts were euthanized and analyzed for apoptosis and proliferation by confocal microscopy. Tumor cells formed compact tumor masses (n = 84) in vivo, with clear Ki67 staining, indicating proliferation. Zebrafish xenografts exhibited sensitivity to trametinib and luminespib, individually or combined, within a two-week period, establishing them as a rapid and complementary tool to existing in vitro and in vivo models for evaluating targeted therapies in LGSOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Fieuws
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.F.); (J.W.B.); (B.P.)
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (O.D.W.); (M.H.); (J.V.D.); (H.D.); (K.V.d.V.)
| | - Jan Willem Bek
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.F.); (J.W.B.); (B.P.)
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (O.D.W.); (M.H.); (J.V.D.); (H.D.); (K.V.d.V.)
| | - Bram Parton
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.F.); (J.W.B.); (B.P.)
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (O.D.W.); (M.H.); (J.V.D.); (H.D.); (K.V.d.V.)
| | - Elyne De Neef
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.F.); (J.W.B.); (B.P.)
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (O.D.W.); (M.H.); (J.V.D.); (H.D.); (K.V.d.V.)
| | - Olivier De Wever
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (O.D.W.); (M.H.); (J.V.D.); (H.D.); (K.V.d.V.)
- Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research, Department of Human Structure and Repair, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Milena Hoorne
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (O.D.W.); (M.H.); (J.V.D.); (H.D.); (K.V.d.V.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marta F. Estrada
- Champalimaud Centre of the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Jo Van Dorpe
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (O.D.W.); (M.H.); (J.V.D.); (H.D.); (K.V.d.V.)
- Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hannelore Denys
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (O.D.W.); (M.H.); (J.V.D.); (H.D.); (K.V.d.V.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Koen Van de Vijver
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (O.D.W.); (M.H.); (J.V.D.); (H.D.); (K.V.d.V.)
- Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kathleen B. M. Claes
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.F.); (J.W.B.); (B.P.)
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (O.D.W.); (M.H.); (J.V.D.); (H.D.); (K.V.d.V.)
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6
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Habjan E, Schouten GK, Speer A, van Ulsen P, Bitter W. Diving into drug-screening: zebrafish embryos as an in vivo platform for antimicrobial drug discovery and assessment. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2024; 48:fuae011. [PMID: 38684467 PMCID: PMC11078164 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuae011] [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] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria underlines the need for innovative treatments, yet the introduction of new drugs has stagnated despite numerous antimicrobial discoveries. A major hurdle is a poor correlation between promising in vitro data and in vivo efficacy in animal models, which is essential for clinical development. Early in vivo testing is hindered by the expense and complexity of existing animal models. Therefore, there is a pressing need for cost-effective, rapid preclinical models with high translational value. To overcome these challenges, zebrafish embryos have emerged as an attractive model for infectious disease studies, offering advantages such as ethical alignment, rapid development, ease of maintenance, and genetic manipulability. The zebrafish embryo infection model, involving microinjection or immersion of pathogens and potential antibiotic hit compounds, provides a promising solution for early-stage drug screening. It offers a cost-effective and rapid means of assessing the efficacy, toxicity and mechanism of action of compounds in a whole-organism context. This review discusses the experimental design of this model, but also its benefits and challenges. Additionally, it highlights recently identified compounds in the zebrafish embryo infection model and discusses the relevance of the model in predicting the compound's clinical potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Habjan
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU Medical Center,De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gina K Schouten
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU Medical Center,De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Speer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU Medical Center,De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter van Ulsen
- Section Molecular Microbiology of A-LIFE, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wilbert Bitter
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU Medical Center,De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Section Molecular Microbiology of A-LIFE, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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7
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Lindahl G, Fjellander S, Selvaraj K, Vildeval M, Ali Z, Almter R, Erkstam A, Rodriguez GV, Abrahamsson A, Kersley ÅR, Fahlgren A, Kjølhede P, Linder S, Dabrosin C, Jensen L. Zebrafish tumour xenograft models: a prognostic approach to epithelial ovarian cancer. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:53. [PMID: 38413842 PMCID: PMC10899227 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00550-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the gynaecological malignancy with highest mortality. Although adjuvant treatment with carboplatin and paclitaxel leads to an objective response in ~80% of these patients, a majority will relapse within two years. Better methods for assessing long-term treatment outcomes are needed. To address this, we established safe and efficacious doses of carboplatin and paclitaxel using IGROV-1 zebrafish-CDX models. Then fluorescently-labelled cell suspensions from 83 tumour biopsies collected at exploratory laparotomy of women with suspected EOC were generated and 37 (45%) were successfully implanted in zebrafish larvae. Among these 19 of 27 pathology-confirmed EOC samples (70%) engrafted. These zebrafish patient-derived tumour xenograft (ZTX) models were treated with carboplatin or paclitaxel and tumour growth/regression and metastatic dissemination were recorded. In a subgroup of nine patients, four ZTX models regressed during carboplatin treatment. All four corresponding patients had >24 months PFS. Furthermore, both ZTX models established from two patients having <24 months PFS failed to regress during carboplatin treatment. Seven of eight models seeding <6 metastatic cells were established from patients having >24 months PFS. In eleven of fourteen patients, FIGO stage I + II or III tumours gave rise to ZTX models seeding <4 or >4 metastatic cells, respectively. In conclusion, ZTX models predicted patients having >24 or <24 months PFS, based on response/no response to carboplatin. Furthermore, high metastatic dissemination in ZTX models correlated to shorter PFS and more advanced disease at diagnosis. These preliminary results suggest that ZTX models could become a useful prognostic tool in EOC treatment planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Lindahl
- Department of Oncology and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Sebastian Fjellander
- BioReperia AB, Linköping, Sweden
- Linköping University, Department of Health, Medicine and Care, Division of Diagnostics and Specialist Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Karthik Selvaraj
- Linköping University, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Annelie Abrahamsson
- Linköping University, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Åsa Rydmark Kersley
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anna Fahlgren
- BioReperia AB, Linköping, Sweden
- Linköping University, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Preben Kjølhede
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Stig Linder
- Linköping University, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Charlotta Dabrosin
- Department of Oncology and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lasse Jensen
- BioReperia AB, Linköping, Sweden.
- Linköping University, Department of Health, Medicine and Care, Division of Diagnostics and Specialist Medicine, Linköping, Sweden.
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8
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Rebordão-Pires M, Estrada MF, Gomes A, Silva F, Baptista C, Ramos MJ, Fortuna A, Simões P, Sousa G, Marreiros A, Fior R. Relapsed Ovarian Cancer Patients with Ascites and/or Pleural Effusion Still Benefit from Treatment: A Real-Life Study. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:162. [PMID: 38201589 PMCID: PMC10778384 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Relapsed HGSOC with ascites and/or pleural effusion is a poor-prognostic population and poorly represented in clinical studies. We questioned if these patients are worth treating. In other words, if these patients received the most effective treatment, would it change the course of this disease? To our knowledge this is the first real-life study to evaluate this question in this low-survival population. (2) Methods: To tackle this question we performed a retrospective, multi-centric, real-life study, that reviewed relapsed HGSOC patients with ascites and/or pleural effusion. Our rationale was to compare the OS of two groups of patients: responders, i.e., patients who had an imagological response to treatment (complete/partial response/stable disease, RECIST criteria) versus non-responders (no response/progression upon treatment). We evaluated the predictive value of clinical variables that are available in a real-life setting (e.g., staging, chemotherapy, surgery, platinum-sensitivity). Multivariate logistic regression and survival analysis was conducted. A two-step cluster analysis SPSS tool was used for subgroup analysis. Platinum sensitivity/resistance was also analyzed, as well as multivariate and cluster analysis. (3) Results: We included 57 patients, 41.4% first line responders and 59.6% non-responders. The median OS of responders was 23 months versus 8 months in non-responders (p < 0.001). This difference was verified in platinum-sensitive (mOS 28 months vs. 8 months, p < 0.001) and platinum-resistant populations (mOS 16 months vs. 7 months, p < 0.001). Thirty-one patients reached the second line, of which only 10.3% responded to treatment. Three patients out of thirty-one who did not respond in the first line of relapse, responded in the second line. In the second line, the mOS for the responders' group vs. non-responders was 31 months versus 13 months (p = 0.02). The two step cluster analysis tool found two different subgroups with different prognoses based on overall response rate, according to consolidation chemotherapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, FIGO staging and surgical treatment. Cluster analysis showed that even patients with standard clinical and treatment variables associated with poor prognosis might achieve treatment response (the opposite being also true). (4) Conclusions: Our data clearly show that relapsed HGSOC patients benefit from treatment. If given an effective treatment upfront, this can lead to a ~3 times increase in mOS for these patients. Moreover, this was irrespective of patient disease and treatment characteristics. Our results highlight the urgent need for a sensitivity test to tailor treatments and improve efficacy rates in a personalized manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Rebordão-Pires
- Medical Oncology Unit, Instituto Português De Oncologia De Coimbra Francisco Gentil, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.R.-P.); (G.S.)
| | - Marta F. Estrada
- Cancer Development and Innate Immune Evasion Laboratory, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - António Gomes
- Surgery Unit, Hospital Vila Franca de Xira, 2600-153 Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal;
| | - Filipa Silva
- Gynecology Unit, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal;
| | - Carlota Baptista
- Medical Oncology Unit, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, 2674-514 Loures, Portugal; (C.B.); (P.S.)
| | - Maria João Ramos
- Medical Oncology Unit, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Santo António, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Ana Fortuna
- Medical Oncology Unit, Centro Hospitalar do Algarve, 8500-338 Portimão, Portugal;
| | - Pedro Simões
- Medical Oncology Unit, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, 2674-514 Loures, Portugal; (C.B.); (P.S.)
| | - Gabriela Sousa
- Medical Oncology Unit, Instituto Português De Oncologia De Coimbra Francisco Gentil, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.R.-P.); (G.S.)
| | - Ana Marreiros
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal;
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Rita Fior
- Cancer Development and Innate Immune Evasion Laboratory, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal
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9
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Wang W, Li Y, Lin K, Wang X, Tu Y, Zhuo Z. Progress in building clinically relevant patient-derived tumor xenograft models for cancer research. Animal Model Exp Med 2023; 6:381-398. [PMID: 37679891 PMCID: PMC10614132 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) models, a method involving the surgical extraction of tumor tissues from cancer patients and subsequent transplantation into immunodeficient mice, have emerged as a pivotal approach in translational research, particularly in advancing precision medicine. As the first stage of PDX development, the patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) models implant tumor tissue in mice in the corresponding anatomical locations of the patient. The PDOX models have several advantages, including high fidelity to the original tumor, heightened drug sensitivity, and an elevated rate of successful transplantation. However, the PDOX models present significant challenges, requiring advanced surgical techniques and resource-intensive imaging technologies, which limit its application. And then, the humanized mouse models, as well as the zebrafish models, were developed. Humanized mouse models contain a human immune environment resembling the tumor and immune system interplay. The humanized mouse models are a hot topic in PDX model research. Regarding zebrafish patient-derived tumor xenografts (zPDX) and patient-derived organoids (PDO) as promising models for studying cancer and drug discovery, zPDX models are used to transplant tumors into zebrafish as novel personalized medical animal models with the advantage of reducing patient waiting time. PDO models provide a cost-effective approach for drug testing that replicates the in vivo environment and preserves important tumor-related information for patients. The present review highlights the functional characteristics of each new phase of PDX and provides insights into the challenges and prospective developments in this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijing Wang
- Department of Clinical MedicineShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| | - Yongshu Li
- College of Life SciencesHubei Normal UniversityHuangshiChina
- Shenzhen Institute for Technology InnovationNational Institute of MetrologyShenzhenChina
| | - Kaida Lin
- Department of Clinical MedicineShantou University Medical CollegeShantouChina
| | - Xiaokang Wang
- Department of PharmacyShenzhen Longhua District Central HospitalShenzhenChina
| | - Yanyang Tu
- Research Center, Huizhou Central People's HospitalGuangdong Medical UniversityHuizhou CityChina
| | - Zhenjian Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and BiotechnologyPeking University Shenzhen Graduate SchoolShenzhenChina
- Laboratory Animal Center, School of Chemical Biology and BiotechnologyPeking University Shenzhen Graduate SchoolShenzhenChina
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10
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Fernández-Santiago C, López-López R, Piñeiro R. Models to study CTCs and CTC culture methods. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 381:57-98. [PMID: 37739484 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
The vast majority of cancer-related deaths are due to the presence of disseminated disease. Understanding the metastatic process is key to achieving a reduction in cancer mortality. Particularly, there is a need to understand the molecular mechanisms that drive cancer metastasis, which will allow the identification of curative treatments for metastatic cancers. Liquid biopsies have arisen as a minimally invasive approach to gain insights into the biology of metastasis. Circulating tumour cells (CTCs), shed to the circulation from the primary tumour or metastatic lesions, are a key component of liquid biopsy. As metastatic precursors, CTCs hold the potential to unravel the mechanisms involved in metastasis formation as well as new therapeutic strategies for treating metastatic disease. However, the complex biology of CTCs together with their low frequency in circulation are factors hampering an in-depth mechanistic investigation of the metastatic process. To overcome these problems, CTC-derived models, including CTC-derived xenograft (CDX) and CTC-derived ex vivo cultures, in combination with more traditional in vivo models of metastasis, have emerged as powerful tools to investigate the biological features of CTCs facilitating cancer metastasis and uncover new therapeutic opportunities. In this chapter, we provide an up to date view of the diverse models used in different cancers to study the biology of CTCs, and of the methods developed for CTC culture and expansion, in vivo and ex vivo. We also report some of the main challenges and limitations that these models are facing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristóbal Fernández-Santiago
- Roche-Chus Joint Unit, Translational Medical Oncology Group (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Rafael López-López
- Roche-Chus Joint Unit, Translational Medical Oncology Group (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain; University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS/SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Piñeiro
- Roche-Chus Joint Unit, Translational Medical Oncology Group (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain.
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11
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Singhal SS, Garg R, Mohanty A, Garg P, Ramisetty SK, Mirzapoiazova T, Soldi R, Sharma S, Kulkarni P, Salgia R. Recent Advancement in Breast Cancer Research: Insights from Model Organisms-Mouse Models to Zebrafish. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15112961. [PMID: 37296923 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal models have been utilized for decades to investigate the causes of human diseases and provide platforms for testing novel therapies. Indeed, breakthrough advances in genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models and xenograft transplantation technologies have dramatically benefited in elucidating the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of multiple diseases, including cancer. The currently available GEM models have been employed to assess specific genetic changes that underlay many features of carcinogenesis, including variations in tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance. In addition, mice models render it easier to locate tumor biomarkers for the recognition, prognosis, and surveillance of cancer progression and recurrence. Furthermore, the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model, which involves the direct surgical transfer of fresh human tumor samples to immunodeficient mice, has contributed significantly to advancing the field of drug discovery and therapeutics. Here, we provide a synopsis of mouse and zebrafish models used in cancer research as well as an interdisciplinary 'Team Medicine' approach that has not only accelerated our understanding of varied aspects of carcinogenesis but has also been instrumental in developing novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharad S Singhal
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutic Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Rachana Garg
- Department of Surgery, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Atish Mohanty
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutic Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Pankaj Garg
- Department of Chemistry, GLA University, Mathura 281406, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sravani Keerthi Ramisetty
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutic Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Tamara Mirzapoiazova
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutic Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Raffaella Soldi
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85338, USA
| | - Sunil Sharma
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85338, USA
| | - Prakash Kulkarni
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutic Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ravi Salgia
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutic Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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12
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Sturtzel C, Grissenberger S, Bozatzi P, Scheuringer E, Wenninger-Weinzierl A, Zajec Z, Dernovšek J, Pascoal S, Gehl V, Kutsch A, Granig A, Rifatbegovic F, Carre M, Lang A, Valtingojer I, Moll J, Lötsch D, Erhart F, Widhalm G, Surdez D, Delattre O, André N, Stampfl J, Tomašič T, Taschner-Mandl S, Distel M. Refined high-content imaging-based phenotypic drug screening in zebrafish xenografts. NPJ Precis Oncol 2023; 7:44. [PMID: 37202469 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-023-00386-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish xenotransplantation models are increasingly applied for phenotypic drug screening to identify small compounds for precision oncology. Larval zebrafish xenografts offer the opportunity to perform drug screens at high-throughput in a complex in vivo environment. However, the full potential of the larval zebrafish xenograft model has not yet been realized and several steps of the drug screening workflow still await automation to increase throughput. Here, we present a robust workflow for drug screening in zebrafish xenografts using high-content imaging. We established embedding methods for high-content imaging of xenografts in 96-well format over consecutive days. In addition, we provide strategies for automated imaging and analysis of zebrafish xenografts including automated tumor cell detection and tumor size analysis over time. We also compared commonly used injection sites and cell labeling dyes and show specific site requirements for tumor cells from different entities. We demonstrate that our setup allows us to investigate proliferation and response to small compounds in several zebrafish xenografts ranging from pediatric sarcomas and neuroblastoma to glioblastoma and leukemia. This fast and cost-efficient assay enables the quantification of anti-tumor efficacy of small compounds in large cohorts of a vertebrate model system in vivo. Our assay may aid in prioritizing compounds or compound combinations for further preclinical and clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Sturtzel
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
- Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - S Grissenberger
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - P Bozatzi
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - E Scheuringer
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
- Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - A Wenninger-Weinzierl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
- Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - Z Zajec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - J Dernovšek
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - S Pascoal
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - V Gehl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - A Kutsch
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Advanced Polymers for Biomaterials and 3D Printing, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - A Granig
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Advanced Polymers for Biomaterials and 3D Printing, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - F Rifatbegovic
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - M Carre
- Service d'Hématologie & Oncologie Pédiatrique, Timone Hospital, AP-HM, Marseille, France
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | - A Lang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - I Valtingojer
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Sanofi Research Center, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - J Moll
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Sanofi Research Center, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
- Renon Biotech and Pharma Consulting, Unterinn am Ritten (Bz), Italy
| | - D Lötsch
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - F Erhart
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - G Widhalm
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - D Surdez
- Balgrist University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - O Delattre
- INSERM U830, Diversity and Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Lab, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - N André
- Service d'Hématologie & Oncologie Pédiatrique, Timone Hospital, AP-HM, Marseille, France
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | - J Stampfl
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Advanced Polymers for Biomaterials and 3D Printing, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - T Tomašič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - S Taschner-Mandl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.
| | - M Distel
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.
- Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria.
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13
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Preclinical models in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Br J Cancer 2023; 128:1819-1827. [PMID: 36765175 PMCID: PMC10147614 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02186-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer is the sixth most frequent cancer type. Drug resistance and toxicity are common challenges of the existing therapies, making the development of reliable preclinical models essential for the study of the involved molecular mechanisms as well as for eventual intervention approaches that improve the clinical outcome. Preclinical models of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma have been traditionally based on cell lines and murine models. In this review, we will go over the most frequently used preclinical models, from immortalised-cell and primary tumour cultures in monolayer or 3D, to the currently available animal models. We will scrutinise their efficiency in mimicking the molecular and cellular complexity of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Finally, the challenges and the opportunities of other envisaged putative approaches, as well as the potential of the preclinical models to further develop personalised therapies will be discussed.
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14
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Liu X, Xin Z, Wang K. Patient-derived xenograft model in colorectal cancer basic and translational research. Animal Model Exp Med 2023; 6:26-40. [PMID: 36543756 PMCID: PMC9986239 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most popular malignancies globally, with 930 000 deaths in 2020. The evaluation of CRC-related pathogenesis and the discovery of potential therapeutic targets will be meaningful and helpful for improving CRC treatment. With huge efforts made in past decades, the systematic treatment regimens have been applied to improve the prognosis of CRC patients. However, the sensitivity of CRC to chemotherapy and targeted therapy is different from person to person, which is an important cause of treatment failure. The emergence of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models shows great potential to alleviate the straits. PDX models possess similar genetic and pathological characteristics as the features of primary tumors. Moreover, PDX has the ability to mimic the tumor microenvironment of the original tumor. Thus, the PDX model is an important tool to screen precise drugs for individualized treatment, seek predictive biomarkers for prognosis supervision, and evaluate the unknown mechanism in basic research. This paper reviews the recent advances in constructed methods and applications of the CRC PDX model, aiming to provide new knowledge for CRC basic research and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Liu
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Department I, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Zechang Xin
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Department I, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Department I, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
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15
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Al-Hamaly MA, Turner LT, Rivera-Martinez A, Rodriguez A, Blackburn JS. Zebrafish Cancer Avatars: A Translational Platform for Analyzing Tumor Heterogeneity and Predicting Patient Outcomes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:2288. [PMID: 36768609 PMCID: PMC9916713 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing number of available anti-cancer drugs presents a challenge for oncologists, who must choose the most effective treatment for the patient. Precision cancer medicine relies on matching a drug with a tumor's molecular profile to optimize the therapeutic benefit. However, current precision medicine approaches do not fully account for intra-tumoral heterogeneity. Different mutation profiles and cell behaviors within a single heterogeneous tumor can significantly impact therapy response and patient outcomes. Patient-derived avatar models recapitulate a patient's tumor in an animal or dish and provide the means to functionally assess heterogeneity's impact on drug response. Mouse xenograft and organoid avatars are well-established, but the time required to generate these models is not practical for clinical decision-making. Zebrafish are emerging as a time-efficient and cost-effective cancer avatar model. In this review, we highlight recent developments in zebrafish cancer avatar models and discuss the unique features of zebrafish that make them ideal for the interrogation of cancer heterogeneity and as part of precision cancer medicine pipelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majd A. Al-Hamaly
- Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40356, USA
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Logan T. Turner
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40356, USA
| | | | - Analiz Rodriguez
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Jessica S. Blackburn
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40356, USA
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16
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Li X, Li M. The application of zebrafish patient-derived xenograft tumor models in the development of antitumor agents. Med Res Rev 2023; 43:212-236. [PMID: 36029178 DOI: 10.1002/med.21924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The cost of antitumor drug development is enormous, yet the clinical outcomes are less than satisfactory. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop effective drug screening methods that enable accurate, rapid, and high-throughput discovery of lead compounds in the process of preclinical antitumor drug research. An effective solution is to use the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor animal models, which are applicable for the elucidation of tumor pathogenesis and the preclinical testing of novel antitumor compounds. As a promising screening model organism, zebrafish has been widely applied in the construction of the PDX tumor model and the discovery of antineoplastic agents. Herein, we systematically survey the recent cutting-edge advances in zebrafish PDX models (zPDX) for studies of pathogenesis mechanisms and drug screening. In addition, the techniques used in the construction of zPDX are summarized. The advantages and limitations of the zPDX are also discussed in detail. Finally, the prospects of zPDX in drug discovery, translational medicine, and clinical precision medicine treatment are well presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Minyong Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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17
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Costa B, Fernandez LM, Parés O, Rio-Tinto R, Santiago I, Castillo-Martin M, Parvaiz A, Fior R. Zebrafish Avatars of rectal cancer patients validate the radiosensitive effect of metformin. Front Oncol 2022; 12:862889. [PMID: 36249066 PMCID: PMC9554544 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.862889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) followed by surgery represents the standard of care in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Increasing radiotherapy (RT) doses and chemotherapy cycles with 5FU have been associated with increased rates of complete response, however these strategies imply significant toxicity. In the last years, epidemiologic findings have demonstrated that metformin is associated with significantly higher rates of pathological complete response to nCRT. Also, pre-clinical studies using cell lines provide evidence for the radiosensitive effect of metformin. However, no studies have been performed using rectal cancer patient samples to test this radiosensitive effect of metformin and compared it to the standard 5FU. Here, we designed an experimental study to compare both radiosensitizers in the zebrafish xenograft model (zAvatar), using rectal cancer surgical specimens and diagnostic biopsies. Patient zAvatars confirmed that metformin has indeed a powerful in vivo radiosensitizer effect, similar to 5FU. Our work confirms that metformin constitutes a promising less toxic alternative to the standard 5FU, which could be game changing in elderly/frail patients to optimize tumor regression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Costa
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Bruna Costa, ; Laura M. Fernandez, ; Rita Fior,
| | - Laura M. Fernandez
- Colorectal Surgery Department, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Bruna Costa, ; Laura M. Fernandez, ; Rita Fior,
| | - Oriol Parés
- Radiation Oncology Department, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Rio-Tinto
- Gastroenterology Department, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Santiago
- Radiology Department, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mireia Castillo-Martin
- Pathology Service, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Amjad Parvaiz
- Colorectal Surgery Department, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rita Fior
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Bruna Costa, ; Laura M. Fernandez, ; Rita Fior,
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18
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Lichtenegger A, Tamaoki J, Licandro R, Mori T, Mukherjee P, Bian L, Greutter L, Makita S, Wöhrer A, Matsusaka S, Kobayashi M, Baumann B, Yasuno Y. Longitudinal investigation of a xenograft tumor zebrafish model using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15381. [PMID: 36100620 PMCID: PMC9470556 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19483-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in female patients worldwide. Further research is needed to get a deeper insight into the mechanisms involved in the development of this devastating disease and to find new therapy strategies. The zebrafish is an established animal model, especially in the field of oncology, which has shown to be a promising candidate for pre-clinical research and precision-based medicine. To investigate cancer growth in vivo in zebrafish, one approach is to explore xenograft tumor models. In this article, we present the investigation of a juvenile xenograft zebrafish model using a Jones matrix optical coherence tomography (JM-OCT) prototype. Immunosuppressed wild-type fish at 1-month post-fertilization were injected with human breast cancer cells and control animals with phosphate buffered saline in the tail musculature. In a longitudinal study, the scatter, polarization, and vasculature changes over time were investigated and quantified in control versus tumor injected animals. A significant decrease in birefringence and an increase in scattering signal was detected in tumor injected zebrafish in comparison to the control once. This work shows the potential of JM-OCT as a non-invasive, label-free, three-dimensional, high-resolution, and tissue-specific imaging tool in pre-clinical cancer research based on juvenile zebrafish models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Lichtenegger
- Computational Optics Group, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Junya Tamaoki
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Roxane Licandro
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory for Computational Neuroimaging, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Tomoko Mori
- Clinical Research and Regional Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | | | - Lixuan Bian
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Lisa Greutter
- Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shuichi Makita
- Computational Optics Group, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Adelheid Wöhrer
- Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Satoshi Matsusaka
- Clinical Research and Regional Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Makoto Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Bernhard Baumann
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yoshiaki Yasuno
- Computational Optics Group, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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19
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Basheer F, Dhar P, Samarasinghe RM. Zebrafish Models of Paediatric Brain Tumours. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:9920. [PMID: 36077320 PMCID: PMC9456103 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Paediatric brain cancer is the second most common childhood cancer and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children. Despite significant advancements in the treatment modalities and improvements in the 5-year survival rate, it leaves long-term therapy-associated side effects in paediatric patients. Addressing these impairments demands further understanding of the molecularity and heterogeneity of these brain tumours, which can be demonstrated using different animal models of paediatric brain cancer. Here we review the use of zebrafish as potential in vivo models for paediatric brain tumour modelling, as well as catalogue the currently available zebrafish models used to study paediatric brain cancer pathophysiology, and discuss key findings, the unique attributes that these models add, current challenges and therapeutic significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiza Basheer
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
- Instiute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Poshmaal Dhar
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
- Instiute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Rasika M. Samarasinghe
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
- Instiute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
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20
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Demery-Poulos C, Chambers JM. Identification, conservation, and expression of tiered pharmacogenes in zebrafish. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273582. [PMID: 36040978 PMCID: PMC9426904 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of adverse drug events in the United States is critically high, with annual rates exceeding 1 million cases over the last nine years. One cause of adverse drug events is the underlying genetic variation that can alter drug responses. Pharmacogenomics is a growing field that seeks to better understand the relationship between a patient’s genetics and drug efficacy. Currently, pharmacogenomics relies largely on human trials, as there is not a well-developed animal model for studying preventative measures and alternative treatments. Here, we analyzed pharmacogene expression at two developmental time points in zebrafish to demonstrate the potential of using this model organism for high-throughput pharmacogenomics research. We found that 76% of tiered human pharmacogenes have a zebrafish ortholog, and of these, many have highly conserved amino acid sequences. Additional gene ontology analysis was used to classify pharmacogenes and identify candidate pathways for future modeling in zebrafish. As precision medicine burgeons, adopting a high-throughput in vivo model such as the zebrafish could greatly increase our understanding of the molecular pathology underlying adverse drug events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Demery-Poulos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Natural and Health Sciences, Manchester University, Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
| | - Joseph M. Chambers
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Natural and Health Sciences, Manchester University, Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
- * E-mail:
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21
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Ross Stewart KM, Walker SL, Baker AH, Riley PR, Brittan M. Hooked on heart regeneration: the zebrafish guide to recovery. Cardiovasc Res 2022; 118:1667-1679. [PMID: 34164652 PMCID: PMC9215194 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvab214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
While humans lack sufficient capacity to undergo cardiac regeneration following injury, zebrafish can fully recover from a range of cardiac insults. Over the past two decades, our understanding of the complexities of both the independent and co-ordinated injury responses by multiple cardiac tissues during zebrafish heart regeneration has increased exponentially. Although cardiomyocyte regeneration forms the cornerstone of the reparative process in the injured zebrafish heart, recent studies have shown that this is dependent on prior neovascularization and lymphangiogenesis, which in turn require epicardial, endocardial, and inflammatory cell signalling within an extracellular milieu that is optimized for regeneration. Indeed, it is the amalgamation of multiple regenerative systems and gene regulatory patterns that drives the much-heralded success of the adult zebrafish response to cardiac injury. Increasing evidence supports the emerging paradigm that developmental transcriptional programmes are re-activated during adult tissue regeneration, including in the heart, and the zebrafish represents an optimal model organism to explore this concept. In this review, we summarize recent advances from the zebrafish cardiovascular research community with novel insight into the mechanisms associated with endogenous cardiovascular repair and regeneration, which may be of benefit to inform future strategies for patients with cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Ross Stewart
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Sophie L Walker
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Andrew H Baker
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Paul R Riley
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Sherrington Building, Sherrington Rd, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Mairi Brittan
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
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22
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Beyond Genetics: Metastasis as an Adaptive Response in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116271. [PMID: 35682953 PMCID: PMC9181003 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic disease represents the primary cause of breast cancer (BC) mortality, yet it is still one of the most enigmatic processes in the biology of this tumor. Metastatic progression includes distinct phases: invasion, intravasation, hematogenous dissemination, extravasation and seeding at distant sites, micro-metastasis formation and metastatic outgrowth. Whole-genome sequencing analyses of primary BC and metastases revealed that BC metastatization is a non-genetically selected trait, rather the result of transcriptional and metabolic adaptation to the unfavorable microenvironmental conditions which cancer cells are exposed to (e.g., hypoxia, low nutrients, endoplasmic reticulum stress and chemotherapy administration). In this regard, the latest multi-omics analyses unveiled intra-tumor phenotypic heterogeneity, which determines the polyclonal nature of breast tumors and constitutes a challenge for clinicians, correlating with patient poor prognosis. The present work reviews BC classification and epidemiology, focusing on the impact of metastatic disease on patient prognosis and survival, while describing general principles and current in vitro/in vivo models of the BC metastatic cascade. The authors address here both genetic and phenotypic intrinsic heterogeneity of breast tumors, reporting the latest studies that support the role of the latter in metastatic spreading. Finally, the review illustrates the mechanisms underlying adaptive stress responses during BC metastatic progression.
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23
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Precision Medicine in Head and Neck Cancers: Genomic and Preclinical Approaches. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12060854. [PMID: 35743639 PMCID: PMC9224778 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12060854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancers (HNCs) represent the sixth most widespread malignancy worldwide. Surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic drugs represent the main clinical approaches for HNC patients. Moreover, HNCs are characterised by an elevated mutational load; however, specific genetic mutations or biomarkers have not yet been found. In this scenario, personalised medicine is showing its efficacy. To study the reliability and the effects of personalised treatments, preclinical research can take advantage of next-generation sequencing and innovative technologies that have been developed to obtain genomic and multi-omic profiles to drive personalised treatments. The crosstalk between malignant and healthy components, as well as interactions with extracellular matrices, are important features which are responsible for treatment failure. Preclinical research has constantly implemented in vitro and in vivo models to mimic the natural tumour microenvironment. Among them, 3D systems have been developed to reproduce the tumour mass architecture, such as biomimetic scaffolds and organoids. In addition, in vivo models have been changed over the last decades to overcome problems such as animal management complexity and time-consuming experiments. In this review, we will explore the new approaches aimed to improve preclinical tools to study and apply precision medicine as a therapeutic option for patients affected by HNCs.
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24
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Almstedt E, Rosén E, Gloger M, Stockgard R, Hekmati N, Koltowska K, Krona C, Nelander S. Real-time evaluation of glioblastoma growth in patient-specific zebrafish xenografts. Neuro Oncol 2022; 24:726-738. [PMID: 34919147 PMCID: PMC9071311 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noab264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of glioblastoma (GBM) are a central tool for neuro-oncology research and drug development, enabling the detection of patient-specific differences in growth, and in vivo drug response. However, existing PDX models are not well suited for large-scale or automated studies. Thus, here, we investigate if a fast zebrafish-based PDX model, supported by longitudinal, AI-driven image analysis, can recapitulate key aspects of glioblastoma growth and enable case-comparative drug testing. METHODS We engrafted 11 GFP-tagged patient-derived GBM IDH wild-type cell cultures (PDCs) into 1-day-old zebrafish embryos, and monitored fish with 96-well live microscopy and convolutional neural network analysis. Using light-sheet imaging of whole embryos, we analyzed further the invasive growth of tumor cells. RESULTS Our pipeline enables automatic and robust longitudinal observation of tumor growth and survival of individual fish. The 11 PDCs expressed growth, invasion and survival heterogeneity, and tumor initiation correlated strongly with matched mouse PDX counterparts (Spearman R = 0.89, p < 0.001). Three PDCs showed a high degree of association between grafted tumor cells and host blood vessels, suggesting a perivascular invasion phenotype. In vivo evaluation of the drug marizomib, currently in clinical trials for GBM, showed an effect on fish survival corresponding to PDC in vitro and in vivo marizomib sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS Zebrafish xenografts of GBM, monitored by AI methods in an automated process, present a scalable alternative to mouse xenograft models for the study of glioblastoma tumor initiation, growth, and invasion, applicable to patient-specific drug evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Almstedt
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Emil Rosén
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marleen Gloger
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rebecka Stockgard
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Neda Hekmati
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Katarzyna Koltowska
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Krona
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sven Nelander
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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25
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Cascallar M, Alijas S, Pensado-López A, Vázquez-Ríos AJ, Sánchez L, Piñeiro R, de la Fuente M. What Zebrafish and Nanotechnology Can Offer for Cancer Treatments in the Age of Personalized Medicine. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092238. [PMID: 35565373 PMCID: PMC9099873 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer causes millions of deaths each year and thus urgently requires the development of new therapeutic strategies. Nanotechnology-based anticancer therapies are a promising approach, with several formulations already approved and in clinical use. The evaluation of these therapies requires efficient in vivo models to study their behavior and interaction with cancer cells, and to optimize their properties to ensure maximum efficacy and safety. In this way, zebrafish is an important candidate due to its high homology with the human genoma, its large offspring, and the ease in developing specific cancer models. The role of zebrafish as a model for anticancer therapy studies has been highly evidenced, allowing researchers not only to perform drug screenings but also to evaluate novel therapies such as immunotherapies and nanotherapies. Beyond that, zebrafish can be used as an “avatar” model for performing patient-derived xenografts for personalized medicine. These characteristics place zebrafish in an attractive position as a role model for evaluating novel therapies for cancer treatment, such as nanomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Cascallar
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.); (S.A.); (A.J.V.-R.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (A.P.-L.); (L.S.)
| | - Sandra Alijas
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.); (S.A.); (A.J.V.-R.)
| | - Alba Pensado-López
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (A.P.-L.); (L.S.)
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine & Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Campus Vida, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Abi Judit Vázquez-Ríos
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.); (S.A.); (A.J.V.-R.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- DIVERSA Technologies S.L., 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Laura Sánchez
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (A.P.-L.); (L.S.)
- Preclinical Animal Models Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Roberto Piñeiro
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Roche-Chus Joint Unit, Translational Medical Oncology Group, Oncomet, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela, Travesía da Choupana s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - María de la Fuente
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.C.); (S.A.); (A.J.V.-R.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- DIVERSA Technologies S.L., 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-981-955-704
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26
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Groenewoud A, Forn-Cuní G, Engel FB, Snaar-Jagalska BE. XePhIR: the zebrafish xenograft phenotype interactive repository. Database (Oxford) 2022; 2022:6575480. [PMID: 35482537 PMCID: PMC9216515 DOI: 10.1093/database/baac028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Zebrafish xenografts are an established model in cancer biology, with a steadily rising number of models and users. However, as of yet, there is no platform dedicated to standardizing protocols and sharing data regarding zebrafish xenograft phenotypes. Here, we present the Xenograft Phenotype Interactive Repository (XePhIR, https://www.xephir.org) as an independent data-sharing platform to deposit, share and repurpose zebrafish xenograft data. Deposition of data and publication with XePhIR will be done after the acceptation of the original publication. This will enhance the reach of the original research article, enhance visibility and do not interfere with the publication or copyrights of the original article. With XePhIR, we strive to fulfill these objectives and reason that this resource will enhance reproducibility and showcase the appeal and applicability of the zebrafish xenograft model.
Database URL: https://www.xephir.org
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Affiliation(s)
- A Groenewoud
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Animal Sciences, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, CC Leiden 2333, The Netherlands
- Experimental Renal and Cardiovascular Research, Department of Nephropathology, Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 12, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - G Forn-Cuní
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Animal Sciences, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, CC Leiden 2333, The Netherlands
| | - F B Engel
- Experimental Renal and Cardiovascular Research, Department of Nephropathology, Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 12, Erlangen 91054, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Östliche Stadtmauerstraße 30, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - B E Snaar-Jagalska
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Animal Sciences, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, CC Leiden 2333, The Netherlands
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27
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Costa B, Estrada MF, Barroso MT, Fior R. Zebrafish Patient-Derived Avatars from Digestive Cancers for Anti-cancer Therapy Screening. Curr Protoc 2022; 2:e415. [PMID: 35436037 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), also called "avatars," are generated by the implantation of human primary tumor cells or tissues into a host animal. Given the complexity and unique characteristics of each tumor, PDXs are models of choice in cancer research and precision medicine. In this context, the zebrafish PDX model (zPDX or zAvatar) has been recognized as a promising in vivo model to directly challenge patient cells with anti-cancer therapies in a personalized manner. The assay relies on the injection of tumor cells from patients into zebrafish embryos to then test and identify the best available drug combination for a particular patient. Compared to mouse PDXs, zAvatar assays take less time and do not require in vitro or in vivo cell expansion. The present article describes how to generate zAvatars from resected digestive cancer from surgeries and how to then use them for anti-cancer therapy screening. We describe the steps for tumor sample collection and cryopreservation, sample preparation and fluorescent labeling for microinjection into zebrafish embryos, drug administration, and analysis of tumor behavior by single-cell confocal imaging. We provide detailed protocols and helpful tips for performing this assay, and we address the technical challenges associated with the workflow. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Patient tumor sample collection and cryopreservation Basic Protocol 2: Generation of zAvatars and anti-cancer treatment Basic Protocol 3: Whole-mount immunofluorescence Basic Protocol 4: Confocal imaging and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Costa
- Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Research, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Marta F Estrada
- Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Research, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Rita Fior
- Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Research, Lisbon, Portugal
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28
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Li C, Ma J, Groenewoud A, Ren J, Liu S, Snaar-Jagalska BE, Ten Dijke P. Establishment of Embryonic Zebrafish Xenograft Assays to Investigate TGF-β Family Signaling in Human Breast Cancer Progression. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2488:67-80. [PMID: 35347683 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2277-3_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family members have pivotal functions in controlling breast cancer progression, acting not only on cancer cells but also on other cells within the tumor microenvironment. Here we describe embryonic zebrafish xenograft assays to investigate how TGF-β family signaling controls breast cancer cell intravasation, extravasation and regulates tumor angiogenesis. Fluorescently mCherry-labeled breast cancer cells are injected in the perivitelline space or Duct of Cuvier of Tg (fli:EGFP) transgenic Casper zebrafish embryos, in which the zebrafish express enhanced green fluorescent protein in the entire vasculature. The dynamic responses of migratory and invasive human cancer cells, and the induction of new blood vessel formation by the cancer cells in zebrafish host, are visualized using a fluorescent microscope. These assays provide efficient, reliable, low-cost models to investigate the effect of (epi)genetic modulators and pharmacological compounds that perturb the activity of TGF-β family signaling components on breast cancer cell metastasis and angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Li
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jin Ma
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Arwin Groenewoud
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jiang Ren
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sijia Liu
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Peter Ten Dijke
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
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29
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Mendonça-Gomes JM, Valverde TM, Martins TMDM, Charlie-Silva I, Padovani BN, Fénero CM, da Silva EM, Domingues RZ, Melo-Hoyos DC, Corrêa-Junior JD, Câmara NOS, Góes AM, Gomes DA. Long-term dexamethasone treatment increases the engraftment efficiency of human breast cancer cells in adult zebrafish. FISH AND SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY REPORTS 2021; 2:100007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fsirep.2021.100007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
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30
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Albuquerque C, Vanneschi L, Henriques R, Castelli M, Póvoa V, Fior R, Papanikolaou N. Object detection for automatic cancer cell counting in zebrafish xenografts. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260609. [PMID: 34843603 PMCID: PMC8629215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell counting is a frequent task in medical research studies. However, it is often performed manually; thus, it is time-consuming and prone to human error. Even so, cell counting automation can be challenging to achieve, especially when dealing with crowded scenes and overlapping cells, assuming different shapes and sizes. In this paper, we introduce a deep learning-based cell detection and quantification methodology to automate the cell counting process in the zebrafish xenograft cancer model, an innovative technique for studying tumor biology and for personalizing medicine. First, we implemented a fine-tuned architecture based on the Faster R-CNN using the Inception ResNet V2 feature extractor. Second, we performed several adjustments to optimize the process, paying attention to constraints such as the presence of overlapped cells, the high number of objects to detect, the heterogeneity of the cells' size and shape, and the small size of the data set. This method resulted in a median error of approximately 1% of the total number of cell units. These results demonstrate the potential of our novel approach for quantifying cells in poorly labeled images. Compared to traditional Faster R-CNN, our method improved the average precision from 71% to 85% on the studied data set.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Albuquerque
- Nova Information Management School (NOVA IMS), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Leonardo Vanneschi
- Nova Information Management School (NOVA IMS), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Roberto Henriques
- Nova Information Management School (NOVA IMS), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mauro Castelli
- Nova Information Management School (NOVA IMS), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Vanda Póvoa
- Computational Clinical Imaging Group, Center for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rita Fior
- Computational Clinical Imaging Group, Center for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nickolas Papanikolaou
- Computational Clinical Imaging Group, Center for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisboa, Portugal
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Sflomos G, Schipper K, Koorman T, Fitzpatrick A, Oesterreich S, Lee AV, Jonkers J, Brunton VG, Christgen M, Isacke C, Derksen PWB, Brisken C. Atlas of Lobular Breast Cancer Models: Challenges and Strategic Directions. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5396. [PMID: 34771558 PMCID: PMC8582475 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) accounts for up to 15% of all breast cancer (BC) cases and responds well to endocrine treatment when estrogen receptor α-positive (ER+) yet differs in many biological aspects from other ER+ BC subtypes. Up to 30% of patients with ILC will develop late-onset metastatic disease up to ten years after initial tumor diagnosis and may experience failure of systemic therapy. Unfortunately, preclinical models to study ILC progression and predict the efficacy of novel therapeutics are scarce. Here, we review the current advances in ILC modeling, including cell lines and organotypic models, genetically engineered mouse models, and patient-derived xenografts. We also underscore four critical challenges that can be addressed using ILC models: drug resistance, lobular tumor microenvironment, tumor dormancy, and metastasis. Finally, we highlight the advantages of shared experimental ILC resources and provide essential considerations from the perspective of the European Lobular Breast Cancer Consortium (ELBCC), which is devoted to better understanding and translating the molecular cues that underpin ILC to clinical diagnosis and intervention. This review will guide investigators who are considering the implementation of ILC models in their research programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Sflomos
- ISREC—Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Koen Schipper
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK; (K.S.); (A.F.); (C.I.)
| | - Thijs Koorman
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; (T.K.); (P.W.B.D.)
| | - Amanda Fitzpatrick
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK; (K.S.); (A.F.); (C.I.)
| | - Steffi Oesterreich
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; (S.O.); (A.V.L.)
- Magee Women’s Cancer Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, Women’s Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Adrian V. Lee
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; (S.O.); (A.V.L.)
- Magee Women’s Cancer Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, Women’s Cancer Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Jos Jonkers
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
- Oncode Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Valerie G. Brunton
- Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK;
| | - Matthias Christgen
- Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Clare Isacke
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK; (K.S.); (A.F.); (C.I.)
| | - Patrick W. B. Derksen
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; (T.K.); (P.W.B.D.)
| | - Cathrin Brisken
- ISREC—Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK; (K.S.); (A.F.); (C.I.)
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Dona M, Lamers M, Rohde S, Gorissen M, Timmers HJLM. Targeting the Redox Balance Pathway Using Ascorbic Acid in sdhb Zebrafish Mutant Larvae. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13205124. [PMID: 34680273 PMCID: PMC8534273 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Thus far, no curative therapies are available for malignant SDHB-associated phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs). Therapy development is severely hampered by the limited availability of suitable animal models. In this study, we investigated the potential of the sdhbrmc200 zebrafish model to study SDHB-associated PPGLs using a drug screening approach. One of the key features of cancer initiation and progression is redox imbalance. First, we identified increased reactive oxygen species levels in homozygous sdhbrmc200 larvae at baseline. Next, we tested the effect of anti- and pro-oxidant ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) on these larvae. We validated the sdhbrmc200 zebrafish model as a powerful drug screening tool to provide valuable insights into pathomechanisms, which may lead to novel therapeutic targets and therapy development in the future. Abstract Patients with mutations in the β-subunit of the succinate dehydrogenase (SDHB) have the highest risk to develop incurable malignant phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs). Therapy development is hindered by limited possibilities to test new therapeutic strategies in vivo. One possible molecular mechanism of SDHB-associated tumorigenesis originates in an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to mitochondrial dysfunction. Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) has already been shown to act as anti-cancer agent in several clinical trials for various types of cancer. In this study, the potential of the sdhbrmc200 zebrafish model to study SDHB-associated PPGLs using a drug screening approach was investigated. First, we identified increased basal ROS levels in homozygous sdhb larvae compared to heterozygous and wild-type siblings. Using a semi high-throughput drug screening, the effectiveness of different dosages of anti- and pro-oxidant Vitamin C were assessed to evaluate differences in survival, ROS levels, and locomotor activity. Low-dosage levels of Vitamin C induced a decrease of ROS levels but no significant effects on lifespan. In contrast, high-dosage levels of Vitamin C shortened the lifespan of the homozygous sdhbrmc200 larvae while not affecting the lifespan of heterozygous and wild-type siblings. These results validated the sdhbrmc200 zebrafish model as a powerful drug screening tool that may be used to identify novel therapeutic targets for SDHB-associated PPGLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margo Dona
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (M.L.); (S.R.); (H.J.L.M.T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Maaike Lamers
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (M.L.); (S.R.); (H.J.L.M.T.)
| | - Svenja Rohde
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (M.L.); (S.R.); (H.J.L.M.T.)
| | - Marnix Gorissen
- Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Henri J. L. M. Timmers
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (M.L.); (S.R.); (H.J.L.M.T.)
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Zebrafish Patient-Derived Xenografts Identify Chemo-Response in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13164131. [PMID: 34439284 PMCID: PMC8394309 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Treating the PDAC (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma) zPDXs (zebrafish patient-derived xenografts) with chemotherapy regimens commonly used, we performed a co-clinical trial testing the predictiveness of the model. We found that zPDX may predict patient outcomes, classifying them into responders (R) and non-responders (NR), reporting a statistically significant higher cancer recurrence rate at 1 year after surgery in the NR group: 66.7 versus 14.3%. Our zPDX model seems to be a promising tool for the stratification of PDAC patients. This is a crucial starting point for future study involving more patients to obtain a method to really personalize the oncological treatment of PDAC patients. Abstract It is increasingly evident the necessity of new predictive tools for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in a personalized manner. We present a co-clinical trial testing the predictiveness of zPDX (zebrafish patient-derived xenograft) for assessing if patients could benefit from a therapeutic strategy (ClinicalTrials.gov: XenoZ, NCT03668418). zPDX are generated xenografting tumor tissues in zebrafish embryos. zPDX were exposed to chemotherapy regimens commonly used. We considered a zPDX a responder (R) when a decrease ≥50% in the relative tumor area was reported; otherwise, we considered them a non-responder (NR). Patients were classified as Responder if their own zPDX was classified as an R for the chemotherapy scheme she/he received an adjuvant treatment; otherwise, we considered them a Non-Responder. We compared the cancer recurrence rate at 1 year after surgery and the disease-free survival (DFS) of patients of both groups. We reported a statistically significant higher recurrence rate in the Non-Responder group: 66.7% vs. 14.3% (p = 0.036), anticipating relapse/no relapse within 1 year after surgery in 12/16 patients. The mean DFS was longer in the R-group than the NR-group, even if not statistically significant: 19.2 months vs. 12.7 months, (p = 0.123). The proposed strategy could potentially improve preclinical evaluation of treatment modalities and may enable prospective therapeutic selection in everyday clinical practice.
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Establishment of Pancreatobiliary Cancer Zebrafish Avatars for Chemotherapy Screening. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082077. [PMID: 34440847 PMCID: PMC8393525 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Cancers of the pancreas and biliary tree remain one of the most aggressive oncological malignancies, with most patients relying on systemic chemotherapy. However, effective biomarkers to predict the best therapy option for each patient are still lacking. In this context, an assay able to evaluate individual responses prior to treatment would be of great value for clinical decisions. Here we aimed to develop such a model using zebrafish xenografts to directly challenge pancreatic cancer cells to the available chemotherapies. Methods: Zebrafish xenografts were generated from a Panc-1 cell line to optimize the pancreatic setting. Pancreatic surgical resected samples, without in vitro expansion, were used to establish zebrafish patient-derived xenografts (zAvatars). Upon chemotherapy exposure, zAvatars were analyzed by single-cell confocal microscopy. Results: We show that Panc-1 zebrafish xenografts are able to reveal tumor responses to both FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel in just 4 days. Moreover, we established pancreatic and ampullary zAvatars with patient-derived tumors representative of different histological types. Conclusion: Altogether, we provide a short report showing the feasibility of generating and analyzing with single-cell resolution zAvatars from pancreatic and ampullary cancers, with potential use for future preclinical studies and personalized treatment.
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Saraiva SM, Gutiérrez-Lovera C, Martínez-Val J, Lores S, Bouzo BL, Díez-Villares S, Alijas S, Pensado-López A, Vázquez-Ríos AJ, Sánchez L, de la Fuente M. Edelfosine nanoemulsions inhibit tumor growth of triple negative breast cancer in zebrafish xenograft model. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9873. [PMID: 33972572 PMCID: PMC8110995 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87968-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is known for being very aggressive, heterogeneous and highly metastatic. The standard of care treatment is still chemotherapy, with adjacent toxicity and low efficacy, highlighting the need for alternative and more effective therapeutic strategies. Edelfosine, an alkyl-lysophospholipid, has proved to be a promising therapy for several cancer types, upon delivery in lipid nanoparticles. Therefore, the objective of this work was to explore the potential of edelfosine for the treatment of TNBC. Edelfosine nanoemulsions (ET-NEs) composed by edelfosine, Miglyol 812 and phosphatidylcholine as excipients, due to their good safety profile, presented an average size of about 120 nm and a neutral zeta potential, and were stable in biorelevant media. The ability of ET-NEs to interrupt tumor growth in TNBC was demonstrated both in vitro, using a highly aggressive and invasive TNBC cell line, and in vivo, using zebrafish embryos. Importantly, ET-NEs were able to penetrate through the skin barrier of MDA-MB 231 xenografted zebrafish embryos, into the yolk sac, leading to an effective decrease of highly aggressive and invasive tumoral cells' proliferation. Altogether the results demonstrate the potential of ET-NEs for the development of new therapeutic approaches for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia M Saraiva
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Unit, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Clinical University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Cancer Network Research (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlha Gutiérrez-Lovera
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Campus of Lugo, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Jeannette Martínez-Val
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Campus of Lugo, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Sainza Lores
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Unit, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Clinical University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Belén L Bouzo
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Unit, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Clinical University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Sandra Díez-Villares
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Unit, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Clinical University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Cancer Network Research (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Alijas
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Unit, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Clinical University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Alba Pensado-López
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Campus of Lugo, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Abi Judit Vázquez-Ríos
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Unit, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Clinical University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Cancer Network Research (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Sánchez
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Campus of Lugo, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - María de la Fuente
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Unit, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Clinical University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), SERGAS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
- Cancer Network Research (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain.
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Corsinovi D, Usai A, Sarlo MD, Giannaccini M, Ori M. Zebrafish Avatar to Develop Precision Breast Cancer Therapies. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2021; 22:748-759. [PMID: 33797388 DOI: 10.2174/1871520621666210402111634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a vertebrate that has become a popular alternative model for the cellular and molecular study of human tumors and for drug testing and validating approaches. Notably, zebrafish embryos, thanks to their accessibility, allow rapid collection of in vivo results prodromal to validation in the murine models in respect to the 3R principles. The generation of tumor xenograft in zebrafish embryos and larvae, or zebrafish avatar, represents a unique opportunity to study tumor growth, angiogenesis, cell invasion and metastatic dissemination, interaction between tumor and host in vivo avoiding immunogenic rejection, representing a promising platform for the translational research and personalized therapies. OBJECTIVE In this mini-review we report recent advances in breast cancer research and drug testing that took advantage of the zebrafish xenograft model using both breast cancer cell lines and patient's biopsy. CONCLUSION Patient derived xenograft, together with the gene editing, the omics biotechnology, the in vivo time lapse imaging and the high-throughput screening that are already set up and largely used in zebrafish, could represent a step forward towards precision and personalized medicine in the breast cancer research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Corsinovi
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa. Italy
| | - Alice Usai
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa. Italy
| | | | | | - Michela Ori
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa. Italy
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Gamble JT, Elson DJ, Greenwood JA, Tanguay RL, Kolluri SK. The Zebrafish Xenograft Models for Investigating Cancer and Cancer Therapeutics. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10040252. [PMID: 33804830 PMCID: PMC8063817 DOI: 10.3390/biology10040252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary The identification and development of new anti-cancer drugs requires extensive testing in animal models to establish safety and efficacy of drug candidates. The transplantation of human tumor tissue into mouse (tumor xenografts) is commonly used to study cancer progression and to test potential drugs for their anti-cancer activity. Mouse models do not afford the ability to test a large number of drug candidates quickly as it takes several weeks to conduct these experiments. In contrast, tumor xenograft studies in zebrafish provide an efficient platform for rapid testing of safety and efficacy in less than two weeks. Abstract In order to develop new cancer therapeutics, rapid, reliable, and relevant biological models are required to screen and validate drug candidates for both efficacy and safety. In recent years, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as an excellent model organism suited for these goals. Larval fish or immunocompromised adult fish are used to engraft human cancer cells and serve as a platform for screening potential drug candidates. With zebrafish sharing ~80% of disease-related orthologous genes with humans, they provide a low cost, high-throughput alternative to mouse xenografts that is relevant to human biology. In this review, we provide background on the methods and utility of zebrafish xenograft models in cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T. Gamble
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;
| | - Daniel J. Elson
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;
| | - Juliet A. Greenwood
- School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Scotsdale, AZ 85257, USA;
| | - Robyn L. Tanguay
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;
| | - Siva K. Kolluri
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;
- Correspondence:
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Li S, Yeo KS, Levee TM, Howe CJ, Her ZP, Zhu S. Zebrafish as a Neuroblastoma Model: Progress Made, Promise for the Future. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030580. [PMID: 33800887 PMCID: PMC8001113 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
For nearly a decade, researchers in the field of pediatric oncology have been using zebrafish as a model for understanding the contributions of genetic alternations to the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma (NB), and exploring the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie neuroblastoma initiation and metastasis. In this review, we will enumerate and illustrate the key advantages of using the zebrafish model in NB research, which allows researchers to: monitor tumor development in real-time; robustly manipulate gene expression (either transiently or stably); rapidly evaluate the cooperative interactions of multiple genetic alterations to disease pathogenesis; and provide a highly efficient and low-cost methodology to screen for effective pharmaceutical interventions (both alone and in combination with one another). This review will then list some of the common challenges of using the zebrafish model and provide strategies for overcoming these difficulties. We have also included visual diagram and figures to illustrate the workflow of cancer model development in zebrafish and provide a summary comparison of commonly used animal models in cancer research, as well as key findings of cooperative contributions between MYCN and diverse singling pathways in NB pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (S.L.); (K.S.Y.); (T.M.L.); (C.J.H.); (Z.P.H.)
| | - Kok Siong Yeo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (S.L.); (K.S.Y.); (T.M.L.); (C.J.H.); (Z.P.H.)
| | - Taylor M. Levee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (S.L.); (K.S.Y.); (T.M.L.); (C.J.H.); (Z.P.H.)
| | - Cassie J. Howe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (S.L.); (K.S.Y.); (T.M.L.); (C.J.H.); (Z.P.H.)
| | - Zuag Paj Her
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (S.L.); (K.S.Y.); (T.M.L.); (C.J.H.); (Z.P.H.)
| | - Shizhen Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (S.L.); (K.S.Y.); (T.M.L.); (C.J.H.); (Z.P.H.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
- Correspondence:
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Reimunde P, Pensado-López A, Carreira Crende M, Lombao Iglesias V, Sánchez L, Torrecilla-Parra M, Ramírez CM, Anfray C, Torres Andón F. Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Glioblastoma and Zebrafish Models for the Discovery of New Treatments. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1087. [PMID: 33802571 PMCID: PMC7961726 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13051087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common of all brain malignant tumors; it displays a median survival of 14.6 months with current complete standard treatment. High heterogeneity, aggressive and invasive behavior, the impossibility of completing tumor resection, limitations for drug administration and therapeutic resistance to current treatments are the main problems presented by this pathology. In recent years, our knowledge of GBM physiopathology has advanced significantly, generating relevant information on the cellular heterogeneity of GBM tumors, including cancer and immune cells such as macrophages/microglia, genetic, epigenetic and metabolic alterations, comprising changes in miRNA expression. In this scenario, the zebrafish has arisen as a promising animal model to progress further due to its unique characteristics, such as transparency, ease of genetic manipulation, ethical and economic advantages and also conservation of the major brain regions and blood-brain-barrier (BBB) which are similar to a human structure. A few papers described in this review, using genetic and xenotransplantation zebrafish models have been used to study GBM as well as to test the anti-tumoral efficacy of new drugs, their ability to interact with target cells, modulate the tumor microenvironment, cross the BBB and/or their toxicity. Prospective studies following these lines of research may lead to a better diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of patients with GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Reimunde
- Department of Medicine, Campus de Oza, Universidade da Coruña, 15006 A Coruña, Spain
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti, 27003 Lugo, Spain
| | - Alba Pensado-López
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Campus de Lugo, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (A.P.-L.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.I.); (L.S.)
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Martín Carreira Crende
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Campus de Lugo, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (A.P.-L.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.I.); (L.S.)
| | - Vanesa Lombao Iglesias
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Campus de Lugo, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (A.P.-L.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.I.); (L.S.)
| | - Laura Sánchez
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Campus de Lugo, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (A.P.-L.); (M.C.C.); (V.L.I.); (L.S.)
| | - Marta Torrecilla-Parra
- IMDEA Research Institute of Food and Health Sciences, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.T.-P.); (C.M.R.)
| | - Cristina M. Ramírez
- IMDEA Research Institute of Food and Health Sciences, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.T.-P.); (C.M.R.)
| | - Clément Anfray
- IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Via A. Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy;
| | - Fernando Torres Andón
- Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Via A. Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy;
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Chen X, Li Y, Yao T, Jia R. Benefits of Zebrafish Xenograft Models in Cancer Research. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:616551. [PMID: 33644052 PMCID: PMC7905065 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.616551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As a promising in vivo tool for cancer research, zebrafish have been widely applied in various tumor studies. The zebrafish xenograft model is a low-cost, high-throughput tool for cancer research that can be established quickly and requires only a small sample size, which makes it favorite among researchers. Zebrafish patient-derived xenograft (zPDX) models provide promising evidence for short-term clinical treatment. In this review, we discuss the characteristics and advantages of zebrafish, such as their transparent and translucent features, the use of vascular fluorescence imaging, the establishment of metastatic and intracranial orthotopic models, individual pharmacokinetics measurements, and tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, we introduce how these characteristics and advantages are applied other in tumor studies. Finally, we discuss the future direction of the use of zebrafish in tumor studies and provide new ideas for the application of it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongyun Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Tengteng Yao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Renbing Jia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
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Chandrasekaran SN, Ceulemans H, Boyd JD, Carpenter AE. Image-based profiling for drug discovery: due for a machine-learning upgrade? Nat Rev Drug Discov 2021; 20:145-159. [PMID: 33353986 PMCID: PMC7754181 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-020-00117-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Image-based profiling is a maturing strategy by which the rich information present in biological images is reduced to a multidimensional profile, a collection of extracted image-based features. These profiles can be mined for relevant patterns, revealing unexpected biological activity that is useful for many steps in the drug discovery process. Such applications include identifying disease-associated screenable phenotypes, understanding disease mechanisms and predicting a drug's activity, toxicity or mechanism of action. Several of these applications have been recently validated and have moved into production mode within academia and the pharmaceutical industry. Some of these have yielded disappointing results in practice but are now of renewed interest due to improved machine-learning strategies that better leverage image-based information. Although challenges remain, novel computational technologies such as deep learning and single-cell methods that better capture the biological information in images hold promise for accelerating drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hugo Ceulemans
- Discovery Data Sciences, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Justin D Boyd
- High Content Imaging Technology Center, Internal Medicine Research Unit, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anne E Carpenter
- Imaging Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Loveless R, Shay C, Teng Y. Unveiling Tumor Microenvironment Interactions Using Zebrafish Models. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 7:611847. [PMID: 33521055 PMCID: PMC7841114 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.611847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a rich and active arena that is strategically evolved overtime by tumors to promote their survival and dissemination. Over the years, attention has been focused to characterize and identify the tumor-supporting roles and subsequent targeting potentials of TME components. Nevertheless, recapitulating the human TME has proved inherently challenging, leaving much to be explored. In this regard, in vivo model systems like zebrafish, with its optical clarity, ease of genetic manipulation, and high engraftment, have proven to be indispensable for TME modeling and investigation. In this review, we discuss the recent ways by which zebrafish models have lent their utility to provide new insights into the various cellular and molecular mechanisms driving TME dynamics and tumor support. Specifically, we report on innate immune cell interactions, cytokine signaling, metastatic plasticity, and other processes within the metastatic cascade. In addition, we reflect on the arrival of adult zebrafish models and the potential of patient-derived xenografts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reid Loveless
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Chloe Shay
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory Children's Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Yong Teng
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
- Georgia Cancer Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Imaging and Radiologic Sciences, College of Allied Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
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43
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Welm BE, Vaklavas C, Welm AL. Toward improved models of human cancer. APL Bioeng 2021; 5:010901. [PMID: 33415312 PMCID: PMC7785323 DOI: 10.1063/5.0030534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cancer is a complex and heterogeneous collection of diseases that kills
more than 18 million people every year worldwide. Despite advances in detection,
diagnosis, and treatments for cancers, new strategies are needed to combat
deadly cancers. Models of human cancer continue to evolve for preclinical
research and have culminated in patient-derived systems that better represent
the diversity and complexity of cancer. Still, no model is perfect. This
Perspective attempts to address ways that we can improve the clinical
translatability of models used for cancer research, from the point of view of
researchers who mainly conduct cancer studies in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan E Welm
- Department of Surgery, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Christos Vaklavas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Alana L Welm
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
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44
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Yaksi E, Jamali A, Diaz Verdugo C, Jurisch-Yaksi N. Past, present and future of zebrafish in epilepsy research. FEBS J 2021; 288:7243-7255. [PMID: 33394550 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Animal models contribute greatly to our understanding of brain development and function as well as its dysfunction in neurological diseases. Epilepsy research is a very good example of how animal models can provide us with a mechanistic understanding of the genes, molecules, and pathophysiological processes involved in disease. Over the course of the last two decades, zebrafish came in as a new player in epilepsy research, with an expanding number of laboratories using this animal to understand epilepsy and to discover new strategies for preventing seizures. Yet, zebrafish as a model offers a lot more for epilepsy research. In this viewpoint, we aim to highlight some key contributions of zebrafish to epilepsy research, and we want to emphasize the great untapped potential of this animal model for expanding these contributions. We hope that our suggestions will trigger further discussions between clinicians and researchers with a common goal to understand and cure epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Yaksi
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ahmed Jamali
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, St Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Carmen Diaz Verdugo
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Nathalie Jurisch-Yaksi
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, St Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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45
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A Great Catch for Investigating Inborn Errors of Metabolism-Insights Obtained from Zebrafish. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10091352. [PMID: 32971894 PMCID: PMC7564250 DOI: 10.3390/biom10091352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Inborn errors of metabolism cause abnormal synthesis, recycling, or breakdown of amino acids, neurotransmitters, and other various metabolites. This aberrant homeostasis commonly causes the accumulation of toxic compounds or depletion of vital metabolites, which has detrimental consequences for the patients. Efficient and rapid intervention is often key to survival. Therefore, it requires useful animal models to understand the pathomechanisms and identify promising therapeutic drug targets. Zebrafish are an effective tool to investigate developmental mechanisms and understanding the pathophysiology of disorders. In the past decades, zebrafish have proven their efficiency for studying genetic disorders owing to the high degree of conservation between human and zebrafish genes. Subsequently, several rare inherited metabolic disorders have been successfully investigated in zebrafish revealing underlying mechanisms and identifying novel therapeutic targets, including methylmalonic acidemia, Gaucher’s disease, maple urine disorder, hyperammonemia, TRAPPC11-CDGs, and others. This review summarizes the recent impact zebrafish have made in the field of inborn errors of metabolism.
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46
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Zhuo J, Su R, Tan W, Lian Z, Lu D, Xu X. The ongoing trends of patient-derived xenograft models in oncology. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2020; 40:559-563. [PMID: 32954687 PMCID: PMC7668494 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jianyong Zhuo
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China.,National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Institute of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
| | - Renyi Su
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Li Shui Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Lishui, Zhejiang, 323000, P. R. China
| | - Winyen Tan
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
| | - Zhengxing Lian
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Institute of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
| | - Di Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China.,National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Institute of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
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47
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Cabezas-Sáinz P, Pensado-López A, Sáinz B, Sánchez L. Modeling Cancer Using Zebrafish Xenografts: Drawbacks for Mimicking the Human Microenvironment. Cells 2020; 9:E1978. [PMID: 32867288 PMCID: PMC7564051 DOI: 10.3390/cells9091978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The first steps towards establishing xenografts in zebrafish embryos were performed by Lee et al., 2005 and Haldi et al., 2006, paving the way for studying human cancers using this animal species. Since then, the xenograft technique has been improved in different ways, ranging from optimizing the best temperature for xenografted embryo incubation, testing different sites for injection of human tumor cells, and even developing tools to study how the host interacts with the injected cells. Nonetheless, a standard protocol for performing xenografts has not been adopted across laboratories, and further research on the temperature, microenvironment of the tumor or the cell-host interactions inside of the embryo during xenografting is still needed. As a consequence, current non-uniform conditions could be affecting experimental results in terms of cell proliferation, invasion, or metastasis; or even overestimating the effects of some chemotherapeutic drugs on xenografted cells. In this review, we highlight and raise awareness regarding the different aspects of xenografting that need to be improved in order to mimic, in a more efficient way, the human tumor microenvironment, resulting in more robust and accurate in vivo results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Cabezas-Sáinz
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (P.C.-S.); (A.P.-L.)
| | - Alba Pensado-López
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (P.C.-S.); (A.P.-L.)
- Genomic Medicine Group, Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Bruno Sáinz
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas “Alberto Sols” CSIC-UAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Cancer Stem Cell and Fibroinflammatory Microenvironment Group, Chronic Diseases and Cancer Area 3-Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Sánchez
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain; (P.C.-S.); (A.P.-L.)
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Gauert A, Olk N, Pimentel-Gutiérrez H, Astrahantseff K, Jensen LD, Cao Y, Eggert A, Eckert C, Hagemann AI. Fast, In Vivo Model for Drug-Response Prediction in Patients with B-Cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12071883. [PMID: 32668722 PMCID: PMC7408814 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Only half of patients with relapsed B-cell precursor (BCP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) currently survive with standard treatment protocols. Predicting individual patient responses to defined drugs prior to application would help therapy stratification and could improve survival. With the purpose to aid personalized targeted treatment approaches, we developed a human–zebrafish xenograft (ALL-ZeFiX) assay to predict drug response in a patient in 5 days. Leukemia blast cells were pericardially engrafted into transiently immunosuppressed Danio rerio embryos, and engrafted embryos treated for the test case, venetoclax, before single-cell dissolution for quantitative whole blast cell analysis. Bone marrow blasts from patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed BCP-ALL were successfully expanded in 60% of transplants in immunosuppressed zebrafish embryos. The response of BCP-ALL cell lines to venetoclax in ALL-ZeFiX assays mirrored responses in 2D cultures. Venetoclax produced varied responses in patient-derived BCP-ALL grafts, including two results mirroring treatment responses in two refractory BCP-ALL patients treated with venetoclax. Here we demonstrate proof-of-concept for our 5-day ALL-ZeFiX assay with primary patient blasts and the test case, venetoclax, which after expanded testing for further targeted drugs could support personalized treatment decisions within the clinical time window for decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Gauert
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.G.); (N.O.); (H.P.-G.); (K.A.); (A.E.); (C.E.)
| | - Nadine Olk
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.G.); (N.O.); (H.P.-G.); (K.A.); (A.E.); (C.E.)
| | - Helia Pimentel-Gutiérrez
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.G.); (N.O.); (H.P.-G.); (K.A.); (A.E.); (C.E.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)—German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kathy Astrahantseff
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.G.); (N.O.); (H.P.-G.); (K.A.); (A.E.); (C.E.)
| | - Lasse D. Jensen
- Department of Health, Medical and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, 58183 Linköping, Sweden;
| | - Yihai Cao
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Angelika Eggert
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.G.); (N.O.); (H.P.-G.); (K.A.); (A.E.); (C.E.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)—German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cornelia Eckert
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.G.); (N.O.); (H.P.-G.); (K.A.); (A.E.); (C.E.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)—German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anja I.H. Hagemann
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (A.G.); (N.O.); (H.P.-G.); (K.A.); (A.E.); (C.E.)
- Correspondence:
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Zebrafish Xenografts Unveil Sensitivity to Olaparib beyond BRCA Status. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12071769. [PMID: 32630796 PMCID: PMC7408583 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition in BRCA-mutated cells results in an incapacity to repair DNA damage, leading to cell death caused by synthetic lethality. Within the treatment options for advanced triple negative breast cancer, the PARP inhibitor olaparib is only given to patients with BRCA1/2 mutations. However, these patients may show resistance to this drug and BRCA1/2 wild-type tumors can show a striking sensitivity, making BRCA status a poor biomarker for treatment choice. Aiming to investigate if the zebrafish model can discriminate sensitivities to olaparib, we developed zebrafish xenografts with different BRCA status and measured tumor response to treatment, as well as its impact on angiogenesis and metastasis. When challenged with olaparib, xenografts revealed sensitivity phenotypes independent of BRCA. Moreover, its combination with ionizing radiation increased the cytotoxic effects, showing potential as a combinatorial regimen. In conclusion, we show that the zebrafish xenograft model may be used as a sensitivity profiling platform for olaparib in monotherapy or in combinatorial regimens. Hence, this model presents as a promising option for the future establishment of patient-derived xenografts for personalized medicine approaches beyond BRCA status.
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50
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Di Franco G, Usai A, Funel N, Palmeri M, Montesanti IER, Bianchini M, Gianardi D, Furbetta N, Guadagni S, Vasile E, Falcone A, Pollina LE, Raffa V, Morelli L. Use of zebrafish embryos as avatar of patients with pancreatic cancer: A new xenotransplantation model towards personalized medicine. World J Gastroenterol 2020; 26:2792-2809. [PMID: 32550755 PMCID: PMC7284182 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i21.2792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The response to chemotherapy treatment of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is difficult to predict and the identification of patients who most likely will benefit from aggressive chemotherapy approaches is crucial. The concept of personalized medicine has emerged in the last years with the objective to tailor the medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient, and particularly to the tumor biology of each patient. The need for in-vivo xenotransplantation models for cancer patients has increased exponentially, and for this reason zebrafish avatars have gained popularity. Preliminary studies were conducted also with PDAC tissue.
AIM To develop a simple, not expensive, diffusible zebrafish embryo model as avatar for patients affected by PDAC.
METHODS Tumor tissue was taken from the surgical specimen by the histopathologist. After its fragmentation into small pieces, they are stained with CM-Dil. Small pieces of stained tissue were transplanted into the yolk of wt AB zebrafish embryos with a glass capillary needle. Embryos were incubated at 35 °C in E3 medium supplemented with 1% Pen/Strep in the presence or absence of drugs for the following days in respect of the treatment plan (Gemcitabine; Gemcitabine and Oxaliplatin; Gemcitabine and nab-Paclitaxel; 5-Fluorouracil and Folinic acid and Oxaliplatin and Irinotecan). The response of zebrafish xenografts to the chemotherapy options has been analyzed by monitoring the fluorescent stained area at 2 h post injection (hpi), 1 d and 2 d post injection (dpi). In each time point, the mean size of the stained area was measured by ImageJ and it was normalized with respect to the 1 dpi time point mean relative tumor area (RTA). We evaluated the effect of the chemotherapy exposition comparing the mean RTA of each treated subgroup and the control group and evaluating the percentage reduction of the mean RTA by comparing each treated subgroup with the control group.
RESULTS Between July 2018 and October 2019, a total of 15 patients with pancreatic cancer were prospectively enrolled. In all cases, it was possible to take a fragment of the tumor from the surgical specimen for the xenotransplantation in the zebrafish embryos. The histological examination confirmed the presence of a PDAC in all cases. In absence of chemotherapy (control group), over time the Dil-stained area showed a statistically significant increase in all cases. A statistically significant reduction of the mean RTA in the treated subgroups for at least one chemotherapy scheme was reported in 6/15 (40%) cases. The analysis of the percentage reduction of the RTA in treated subgroups in comparison to the control group revealed the presence of a linear relationship in each subgroup between the percentage reduction of the RTA and the number of cases reporting each percentage threshold considered for the analysis.
CONCLUSION Our model seems to be effective for the xenotransplantation of PDAC tissue and evaluation of the effect of each chemotherapy scheme on the xenotransplanted tumor tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregorio Di Franco
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Alice Usai
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Niccola Funel
- Division of Surgical Pathology, Department of Laboratory of Medicine, Hospital-University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Matteo Palmeri
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | | | - Matteo Bianchini
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Desirée Gianardi
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Niccolò Furbetta
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Simone Guadagni
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Enrico Vasile
- Division of Medical Oncology, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Alfredo Falcone
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Luca Emanuele Pollina
- Division of Surgical Pathology, Department of Laboratory of Medicine, Hospital-University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Vittoria Raffa
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Luca Morelli
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
- EndoCAS (Center for Computer Assisted Surgery), University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
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