Vaccine Research Institute of San Diego San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
Am J Cancer Res. 2011;1(5):674-86. Epub 2011 May 1.
Intra-Vital Microscopy (IVM) is used to visualize tumors in animals and analyze various aspects of cancer physiology such as tumor vascularization, cell migration and metastasis. The main advantages of IVM include the real -time analysis of dynamic processes with single-cell resolution. The application of IVM, however, is limited by the availability of animal models that carry visually accessible tumors. These models have evolved over time to become more and more relevant to human tumors. The latest step is the development of a pseudo-orthotopic, syngeneic model for tumor growth and metastasis. In this model, tissue from a variety of mouse organs are grafted in a dorsal skinfold chamber and allowed to revascularize, whereupon tumor cell spheroids are implanted. These spheroids develop into tumors that bear a much closer resemblance to human tumors than xenografts. Unlike xenografts, the vasculature is well-ordered and, because the model is syngeneic, there are no cross-species host immune reactions. The use of fluorescence-tagged pseudo-organs and tumor cells allows IVM analysis and provides real-time access to the development of tumors that closely resemble the real disease. This model can be used to test therapeutics and to image tumor development and stroma-tumor interactions.
活体显微镜检查（IVM）用于在动物中可视化肿瘤，并分析癌症生理学的各个方面，如肿瘤血管生成、细胞迁移和转移。IVM 的主要优点包括具有单细胞分辨率的实时分析动态过程。然而，IVM 的应用受到可视肿瘤动物模型的可用性限制。这些模型随着时间的推移不断发展，变得越来越与人类肿瘤相关。最新的一步是开发用于肿瘤生长和转移的伪原位、同基因模型。在这个模型中，来自各种小鼠器官的组织被移植到背部皮褶室中，并允许其重新血管化，随后植入肿瘤细胞球体。这些球体发展成与异种移植物相比更接近人类肿瘤的肿瘤。与异种移植物不同，血管排列有序，并且由于该模型是同基因的，因此不存在跨物种的宿主免疫反应。荧光标记的拟器官和肿瘤细胞的使用允许进行 IVM 分析，并实时访问与真实疾病非常相似的肿瘤发展情况。该模型可用于测试治疗方法，并可用于成像肿瘤发展和基质-肿瘤相互作用。
