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Murphy KC, Ruscetti M. Advances in Making Cancer Mouse Models More Accessible and Informative through Non-Germline Genetic Engineering. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2024; 14:a041348. [PMID: 37277206 PMCID: PMC10982712 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) allow for modeling of spontaneous tumorigenesis within its native microenvironment in mice and have provided invaluable insights into mechanisms of tumorigenesis and therapeutic strategies to treat human disease. However, as their generation requires germline manipulation and extensive animal breeding that is time-, labor-, and cost-intensive, traditional GEMMs are not accessible to most researchers, and fail to model the full breadth of cancer-associated genetic alterations and therapeutic targets. Recent advances in genome-editing technologies and their implementation in somatic tissues of mice have ushered in a new class of mouse models: non-germline GEMMs (nGEMMs). nGEMM approaches can be leveraged to generate somatic tumors de novo harboring virtually any individual or group of genetic alterations found in human cancer in a mouse through simple procedures that do not require breeding, greatly increasing the accessibility and speed and scale on which GEMMs can be produced. Here we describe the technologies and delivery systems used to create nGEMMs and highlight new biological insights derived from these models that have rapidly informed functional cancer genomics, precision medicine, and immune oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine C Murphy
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Marcus Ruscetti
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA;
- Immunology and Microbiology Program, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
- Cancer Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
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Olkowski C, Fernandes B, Griffiths GL, Lin F, Choyke PL. Preclinical Imaging of Prostate Cancer. Semin Nucl Med 2023; 53:644-662. [PMID: 36882335 PMCID: PMC10440231 DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Prostate cancer remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity, affecting millions of men, with a large percentage expected to develop the disease as they reach advanced ages. Treatment and management advances have been dramatic over the past 50 years or so, and one aspect of these improvements is reflected in the multiple advances in diagnostic imaging techniques. Much attention has been focused on molecular imaging techniques that offer high sensitivity and specificity and can now more accurately assess disease status and detect recurrence earlier. During development of molecular imaging probes, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) must be evaluated in preclinical models of the disease. If such agents are to be translated to the clinic, where patients undergoing these imaging modalities are injected with a molecular imaging probe, these agents must first be approved by the FDA and other regulatory agencies prior to their adoption in clinical practice. Scientists have worked assiduously to develop preclinical models of prostate cancer that are relevant to the human disease to enable testing of these probes and related targeted drugs. Challenges in developing reproducible and robust models of human disease in animals are beset with practical issues such as the lack of natural occurrence of prostate cancer in mature male animals, the difficulty of initiating disease in immune-competent animals and the sheer size differences between humans and conveniently smaller animals such as rodents. Thus, compromises in what is ideal and what can be achieved have had to be made. The workhorse of preclinical animal models has been, and remains, the investigation of human xenograft tumor models in athymic immunocompromised mice. Later models have used other immunocompromised models as they have been found and developed, including the use of directly derived patient tumor tissues, completely immunocompromised mice, orthotopic methods for inducing prostate cancer within the mouse prostate itself and metastatic models of advanced disease. These models have been developed in close parallel with advances in imaging agent chemistries, radionuclide developments, computer electronics advances, radiometric dosimetry, biotechnologies, organoid technologies, advances in in vitro diagnostics, and overall deeper understandings of disease initiation, development, immunology, and genetics. The combination of molecular models of prostatic disease with radiometric-based studies in small animals will always remain spatially limited due to the inherent resolution sensitivity limits of PET and SPECT decay processes, fundamentally set at around a 0.5 cm resolution limit. Nevertheless, it is central to researcher's efforts and to successful clinical translation that the best animal models are adopted, accepted, and scientifically verified as part of this truly interdisciplinary approach to addressing this important disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen Olkowski
- Molecular Imaging Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda MD
| | - Bruna Fernandes
- Molecular Imaging Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda MD
| | - Gary L Griffiths
- Clinical Research Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD
| | - Frank Lin
- Molecular Imaging Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda MD
| | - Peter L Choyke
- Molecular Imaging Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda MD.
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Leibold J, Ruscetti M, Cao Z, Ho YJ, Baslan T, Zou M, Abida W, Feucht J, Han T, Barriga FM, Tsanov KM, Zamechek L, Kulick A, Amor C, Tian S, Rybczyk K, Salgado NR, Sánchez-Rivera FJ, Watson PA, de Stanchina E, Wilkinson JE, Dow LE, Abate-Shen C, Sawyers CL, Lowe SW. Somatic Tissue Engineering in Mouse Models Reveals an Actionable Role for WNT Pathway Alterations in Prostate Cancer Metastasis. Cancer Discov 2020; 10:1038-1057. [PMID: 32376773 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-19-1242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To study genetic factors influencing the progression and therapeutic responses of advanced prostate cancer, we developed a fast and flexible system that introduces genetic alterations relevant to human disease directly into the prostate glands of mice using tissue electroporation. These electroporation-based genetically engineered mouse models (EPO-GEMM) recapitulate features of traditional germline models and, by modeling genetic factors linked to late-stage human disease, can produce tumors that are metastatic and castration-resistant. A subset of tumors with Trp53 alterations acquired spontaneous WNT pathway alterations, which are also associated with metastatic prostate cancer in humans. Using the EPO-GEMM approach and an orthogonal organoid-based model, we show that WNT pathway activation drives metastatic disease that is sensitive to pharmacologic WNT pathway inhibition. Thus, by leveraging EPO-GEMMs, we reveal a functional role for WNT signaling in driving prostate cancer metastasis and validate the WNT pathway as therapeutic target in metastatic prostate cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: Our understanding of the factors driving metastatic prostate cancer is limited by the paucity of models of late-stage disease. Here, we develop EPO-GEMMs of prostate cancer and use them to identify and validate the WNT pathway as an actionable driver of aggressive metastatic disease.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 890.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josef Leibold
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Marcus Ruscetti
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Zhen Cao
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Yu-Jui Ho
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Timour Baslan
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Min Zou
- Departments of Pharmacology, Urology, Medicine, Pathology and Cell Biology, and Systems Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Wassim Abida
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Judith Feucht
- Center for Cell Engineering and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Teng Han
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.,Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Francisco M Barriga
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Kaloyan M Tsanov
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Leah Zamechek
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Amanda Kulick
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Corina Amor
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Sha Tian
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Katarzyna Rybczyk
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Nelson R Salgado
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | | | - Philip A Watson
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Elisa de Stanchina
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - John E Wilkinson
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lukas E Dow
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Cory Abate-Shen
- Departments of Pharmacology, Urology, Medicine, Pathology and Cell Biology, and Systems Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Charles L Sawyers
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland
| | - Scott W Lowe
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland
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Chan S, Shen D, Sang Y, Wang S, Wang Y, Chen C, Gao B, Song C. Development of enhancer-trapping and -detection vectors mediated by the Tol2 transposon in zebrafish. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6862. [PMID: 31106068 PMCID: PMC6499061 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancers are key transcriptional drivers of gene expression. The identification of enhancers in the genome is central for understanding gene-expression programs. Although transposon-mediated enhancer trapping (ET) is a powerful approach to the identification of enhancers in zebrafish, its efficiency varies considerably. To improve the ET efficiency, we constructed Tol2-mediated ET vectors with a reporter gene (mCherry) expression box driven by four minimal promoters (Gata, Myc, Krt4 and Oct4), respectively. The ET efficiency and expression background were compared among the four promoters by zebrafish embryo injection at the one-cell stage. The results showed that the Gata minimal promoter yielded the lowest basic expression and the second-highest trapping efficiency (44.6% at 12 hpf (hour post-fertilization) and 23.1% at 72 hpf, n = 305 and n = 307). The Krt4 promoter had the highest trapping efficiency (64% at 12 hpf and 67.1% at 72 hpf, n = 302 and n = 301) and the strongest basic expression. To detect enhancer activity, chicken 5′HS4 double insulators were cloned into the two ET vectors with the Gata or Krt4 minimal promoter, flanking the mCherry expression box. The resulting detection vectors were injected into zebrafish embryos. mCherry expression driven by the Gata promoter (about 5%, n = 301) was decreased significantly compared with that observed for embryos injected with the ET vectors (23% at 72 hpf, n = 308). These results suggest that the insulators block the genome-position effects and that this vector is fit for enhancer-activity evaluation. To assess the compatibility between the enhancers and the minimal promoters, four enhancers (CNS1, Z48, Hand2 and Hs769) were cloned upstream of the Gata or Beta-globin minimal promoter in the enhancer-activity-detection vectors. The resulting recombinant vectors were assayed by zebrafish embryo injection. We found that Z48 and CNS1 responded to the Gata minimal promoter, and that Hand2 only responded to the Beta-globin minimal promoter. In contrast, Hs769 did not respond to either the Gata or Beta-globin minimal promoters. These results suggest the existence of compatibility between enhancers and minimal promoters. This study represents a systematic approach to the discovery of optional ET and enhancer-detection vectors. We are eager to provide a superior tool for understanding functional genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuheng Chan
- Yangzhou University, Institute of Animal Mobilome and Genome, College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dan Shen
- Yangzhou University, Institute of Animal Mobilome and Genome, College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yatong Sang
- Yangzhou University, Institute of Animal Mobilome and Genome, College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Saisai Wang
- Yangzhou University, Institute of Animal Mobilome and Genome, College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yali Wang
- Yangzhou University, Institute of Animal Mobilome and Genome, College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cai Chen
- Yangzhou University, Institute of Animal Mobilome and Genome, College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bo Gao
- Yangzhou University, Institute of Animal Mobilome and Genome, College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chengyi Song
- Yangzhou University, Institute of Animal Mobilome and Genome, College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
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