ACRF Cancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Methods Mol Biol. 2023;2691:31-41. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3331-1_3.
The development of in vivo lung cancer models that faithfully mimic the human disease is a crucial research tool for understanding the molecular mechanisms driving tumorigenesis. Subcutaneous transplantation assays are commonly employed, likely due to their amenability to easily monitor tumor growth and the simplistic nature of the technique to deliver tumor cells. Importantly however, subcutaneous tumors grow in a microenvironment that differs from that resident within the lung. To circumvent this limitation, here we describe the development of an intrapulmonary (iPUL) orthotopic transplantation method that enables the delivery of lung cancer cells, with precision, to the left lung lobe of recipient mice. Critically, this allows for the growth of lung cancer cells within their native microenvironment. The coupling of iPUL transplantation with position emission tomography (PET) imaging permits the serial detection of tumors in vivo and serves as a powerful tool to trace lung tumor growth and dissemination over time in mouse disease models.
体内肺癌模型的发展能够真实地模拟人类疾病，是研究肿瘤发生分子机制的重要工具。皮下移植实验通常被采用，可能是因为其易于监测肿瘤生长，且肿瘤细胞递送技术简单。然而，重要的是，皮下肿瘤在微环境中生长，与肺部内的微环境不同。为了克服这一限制，我们在这里描述了一种肺内（iPUL）原位移植方法的发展，该方法能够精确地将肺癌细胞递送到受体小鼠的左肺叶。关键的是，这允许肺癌细胞在其天然微环境中生长。iPUL 移植与正电子发射断层扫描（PET）成像相结合，允许在体内连续检测肿瘤，并成为一种强大的工具，可用于追踪小鼠疾病模型中肺肿瘤的生长和扩散情况。
