Humanized mouse model of ovarian cancer recapitulates patient solid tumor progression, ascites formation, and metastasis.

Authors

Richard B Bankert
Sathy V Balu-Iyer
Kunle Odunsi
Leonard D ShultzFollow
Raymond J Kelleher
Jennifer L Barnas
Michelle Simpson-Abelson
Robert Parsons
Sandra J Yokota

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2011

Keywords

Animals, Ascites, CA-125 Antigen, Disease Models, Animal, Disease Progression, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Humans, Immunoassay, Immunohistochemistry, Interferon-gamma, Interleukin-12, Mice, Neoplasm Metastasis, Ovarian Neoplasms

JAX Source

PLoS ONE 2011; 6(9):e24420.

PMID

21935406

Volume

6

Issue

9

First Page

24420

Last Page

24420

ISSN

1932-6203

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of death from gynecological cancer. Understanding the biology of this disease, particularly how tumor-associated lymphocytes and fibroblasts contribute to the progression and metastasis of the tumor, has been impeded by the lack of a suitable tumor xenograft model. We report a simple and reproducible system in which the tumor and tumor stroma are successfully engrafted into NOD-scid IL2Rγ(null) (NSG) mice. This is achieved by injecting tumor cell aggregates derived from fresh ovarian tumor biopsy tissues (including tumor cells, and tumor-associated lymphocytes and fibroblasts) i.p. into NSG mice. Tumor progression in these mice closely parallels many of the events that are observed in ovarian cancer patients. Tumors establish in the omentum, ovaries, liver, spleen, uterus, and pancreas. Tumor growth is initially very slow and progressive within the peritoneal cavity with an ultimate development of tumor ascites, spontaneous metastasis to the lung, increasing serum and ascites levels of CA125, and the retention of tumor-associated human fibroblasts and lymphocytes that remain functional and responsive to cytokines for prolonged periods. With this model one will be able to determine how fibroblasts and lymphocytes within the tumor microenvironment may contribute to tumor growth and metastasis, and will make it possible to evaluate the efficacy of therapies that are designed to target these cells in the tumor stroma.

Recommended Citation

Bankert R, Balu-Iyer S, Odunsi K, Shultz L, Kelleher R, Barnas J, Simpson-Abelson M, Parsons R, Yokota S. Humanized mouse model of ovarian cancer recapitulates patient solid tumor progression, ascites formation, and metastasis. PLoS ONE 2011; 6(9):e24420.