Additional Services

Tumor propagation in vivo:

When cancer cell line cultures do not form consistent primary tumors in animals, we can passage the tumors animal to animal by harvesting the primary tumors that do form, fragmenting the tumors, and implanting the fragments in a second group of animals. Tumor fragments from donor mice are implanted into small numbers of mice for maintenance, or larger numbers of mice for study initiation.

For tumors which are best propagated in vivo, our experience includes work with ovarian, colon, lung, liver, prostate, bladder, mammary, melanoma, sarcoma and pancreatic cancer cell. Cancer cell lines are obtained from reputable sources. Alternatively, sponsors may provide cell lines. In either case, cells must be certified to be free of human as well as murine pathogens.

Colon Cancer

Several colon cancer cell lines are available. The HT-29 cell line is a human colorectal adenocarcinoma, which when injected into nude mice is tumorigenic, with a take rate of approximately 80-90%. Tumors reach a mean target window size of 100-200 mg in 4-6 days and a mean tumor size of 1000 mg in 35-40 days. This line may be propagated readily either in vitro or in vivo .

Sarcoma

The HT-1080 cell line is an adherent human fibro-sarcoma cell line that is maintained in vitro . It is highly tumorigenic with a take rate of approximately 90-95% in nude mice. HT-1080 cells develop tumors reaching a mean target window size of 100-200 mg in 5-7 days and a mean size of 1000 mg in 13-14 days.

Pancreatic Cancer

This rat pancreatic tumor line, AR42J, is propagated in vivo . Typically, tumors are sterilely collected from donor mice when they reach approximately 1000 mg and a 10 mg tumor fragment is implanted subcutaneously into donor athymic nude mice. This tumor line is tumorigenic in approximately 70-80% of mice implanted and reaches a mean target window size of 100-200 mg in 20-25 days. A mean size of 800-900 mg is reached in approximately 40 days.