Development of a nude mouse model of ras-mediated neoplasia using WR21 cells from a transgenic mouse salivary tumor.

A novel cell line (WR21) was derived from a salivary tumor in a male wap-ras transgenic mouse. Salivary tumors in wap-ras transgenic mice are extremely aggressive and express high levels of oncogenic ras protein from the activated, human Ha-ras transgene. WR21 cells also expressed high levels of oncogenic ras protein in vitro and in vivo. They gave rise to aggressive, highly anaplastic solid tumors when injected subcutaneously into athymic nude mice and approximately 90% of the mice had lung metastases by the fifth week of tumor growth. WR21 tumors were inhibited by cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, mitomycin C and actinomycin D, but not methotrexate. Our results suggest that the WR21/nude mice model will be useful for testing the efficacy of drug therapies against ras-mediated neoplasias.