A transplantable anaplastic oral cancer model.

A stable model has been developed for oral mucosal anaplastic epidermoid carcinoma. This model more closely resembles the biologic characteristics of human oral carcinoma than previous models, such as primary epidermoid carcinomas induced in hamster buccal pouches or tongue by chemical carcinogens. This anaplastic oral cancer model was developed by serial abdominal transplantation in neonatal hamsters of original DMBA-induced primary epidermoid carcinomas of hamster buccal pouch. After the second generation, the tumors became stable, maintained an anaplastic appearance histologically, and were biologically aggressive, with rapid growth and metastatic potential. The original DMBA-induced buccal pouch tumors from 42 adult hamsters were transplanted abdominally through five generations in 151 neonatal hamsters. Immunosuppression was crucial in the initial transplantation but became unnecessary in the later serial transplantations. This model can serve as the basis for a variety of future immunologic and biologic studies dealing with oral cancer.