AntiCancer, Inc., 7917 Ostrow Street, San Diego, California 92111, USA.
J Cell Biochem. 2010 Jan 1;109(1):58-64. doi: 10.1002/jcb.22379.
We have developed a new in vivo mouse model to image single cancer-cell dynamics of metastasis to the lung in real-time. Regulating airflow volume with a novel endotracheal intubation method enabled controlling lung expansion adequate for imaging of the exposed lung surface. Cancer cells expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the nucleus and red fluorescent protein (RFP) in the cytoplasm were injected in the tail vein of the mouse. The right chest wall was then opened in order to image metastases on the lung surface directly. After each observation, the chest wall was sutured and the air was suctioned in order to re-inflate the lung, in order to keep the mice alive. Observations have been carried out for up to 8 h per session and repeated up to six times per mouse thus far. The seeding and arresting of single cancer cells on the lung, accumulation of cancer-cell emboli, cancer-cell viability, and metastatic colony formation were imaged in real-time. This new technology makes it possible to observe real-time monitoring of cancer-cell dynamics of metastasis in the lung and to identify potential metastatic stem cells.
我们开发了一种新的活体小鼠模型，可实时成像转移到肺部的单个癌细胞的动力学。通过一种新的气管内插管方法调节气流体积，可控制肺部充分扩张，从而可对暴露的肺表面进行成像。将在细胞核中表达绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）和在细胞质中表达红色荧光蛋白（RFP）的癌细胞注射到小鼠尾静脉中。然后打开右胸壁，以便直接对肺表面的转移进行成像。每次观察后，缝合胸壁并抽吸空气以使肺部重新充气，以使小鼠存活。迄今为止，每次观察时间长达 8 小时，每只小鼠可重复观察多达 6 次。实时成像了单个癌细胞在肺部的播种和停滞、癌细胞栓子的聚集、癌细胞活力和转移性集落的形成。这项新技术使得实时监测肺部转移的癌细胞动力学并鉴定潜在的转移性干细胞成为可能。
