Name: virus delivery of crispr guides to the murine prostate for gene alteration
Uploaded: 2018-04-27T15:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Virus Delivery of CRISPR Guides to the Murine Prostate for Gene Alteration at JoVE.com

MR was funded by a fellowship from the Danish cancer society (R146-A9394-16-S2). MFB and MKT were funded by AUFF NOVA (AUFF-E-2015-FLS-9-8). MR and MFB were co-funded by Graduate School, HEALTH, AU. The E.F.W. laboratory is supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy (SAF2015-70857, co-funded by the ERDF-EU) and an ERC advanced grant (741888 - CSI-Fun).
We want to thank Liliana Fajardo Mellor (Genes, Development and Disease; National Cancer Research Center) for critical reading of the manuscript.

This protocol involves a surgical procedure in laboratory mice. All animal experiments must be individually reviewed and approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). As the approach is based on animal recovery and survival, ensure appropriate anesthesia, pain management, and an aseptic surgical environment at all time. Use a heating pad to prevent hypothermia during surgery and until recovery from anesthesia.
1. Starting Considerations
<ol>
	<li>Depending on the virus ...

<ol>
	<li>Ferlay, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cancer+incidence+and+mortality+worldwide:+sources,+methods+and+major+patterns+in+GLOBOCAN+2012.">Cancer incidence and mortality worldwide: sources, methods and major patterns in GLOBOCAN 2012.</a> Int J Cancer. 136, E359-E386 (2015).</li><li>Gerlinger, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Intratumor+heterogeneity+and+branched+evolution+revealed+by+multiregion+sequencing.">Intratumor heterogeneity and branched evolution revealed by multiregion sequencing.</a> N Engl J Med. 366, 883-892 (2012).</li><li>Robinson, D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Integrative+Clinical+Genomics+of+Advanced+Prostate+Cancer.">Integrative Clinical Genomics of Advanced Prostate Cancer.</a> Cell. 162, 454 (2015).</li><li>Gama Sosa, M. A., De Gasperi, R., Elder, G. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Animal+transgenesis:+an+overview.">Animal transgenesis: an overview.</a> Brain Struct Funct. 214, 91-109 (2010).</li><li>Wu, X., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+of+a+prostate+epithelial+cell-specific+Cre+transgenic+mouse+model+for+tissue-specific+gene+ablation.">Generation of a prostate epithelial cell-specific Cre transgenic mouse model for tissue-specific gene ablation.</a> Mech Dev. 101, 61-69 (2001).</li><li>Ma, X., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Targeted+biallelic+inactivation+of+Pten+in+the+mouse+prostate+leads+to+prostate+cancer+accompanied+by+increased+epithelial+cell+proliferation+but+not+by+reduced+apoptosis.">Targeted biallelic inactivation of Pten in the mouse prostate leads to prostate cancer accompanied by increased epithelial cell proliferation but not by reduced apoptosis.</a> Cancer Res. 65, 5730-5739 (2005).</li><li>Chen, Z., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Crucial+role+of+p53-dependent+cellular+senescence+in+suppression+of+Pten-deficient+tumorigenesis.">Crucial role of p53-dependent cellular senescence in suppression of Pten-deficient tumorigenesis.</a> Nature. 436, 725-730 (2005).</li><li>Leow, C. C., Wang, X. D., Gao, W. Q. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Novel+method+of+generating+prostate-specific+Cre-LoxP+gene+switching+via+intraductal+delivery+of+adenovirus.">Novel method of generating prostate-specific Cre-LoxP gene switching via intraductal delivery of adenovirus.</a> Prostate. 65, 1-9 (2005).</li><li>Thomsen, M. K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Loss+of+JUNB/AP-1+promotes+invasive+prostate+cancer.">Loss of JUNB/AP-1 promotes invasive prostate cancer.</a> Cell Death Differ. 22, 574-582 (2015).</li><li>Cho, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=a+novel+GEM+model+for+metastatic+prostate+cancer+analysis+and+therapy,+reveals+myc+as+a+driver+of+Pten-mutant+metastasis.">a novel GEM model for metastatic prostate cancer analysis and therapy, reveals myc as a driver of Pten-mutant metastasis.</a> Cancer Discov. 4, 318-333 (2014).</li><li>Cho, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapid+in+vivo+validation+of+candidate+drivers+derived+from+the+PTEN-mutant+prostate+metastasis+genome.">Rapid in vivo validation of candidate drivers derived from the PTEN-mutant prostate metastasis genome.</a> Methods. 77-78, 197-204 (2015).</li><li>Platt, R. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CRISPR-Cas9+knockin+mice+for+genome+editing+and+cancer+modeling.">CRISPR-Cas9 knockin mice for genome editing and cancer modeling.</a> Cell. 159, 440-455 (2014).</li><li>Wang, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Prostate-specific+deletion+of+the+murine+Pten+tumor+suppressor+gene+leads+to+metastatic+prostate+cancer.">Prostate-specific deletion of the murine Pten tumor suppressor gene leads to metastatic prostate cancer.</a> Cancer Cell. 4, 209-221 (2003).</li><li>Liu, W., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Copy+number+analysis+indicates+monoclonal+origin+of+lethal+metastatic+prostate+cancer.">Copy number analysis indicates monoclonal origin of lethal metastatic prostate cancer.</a> Nat Med. 15, 559-565 (2009).</li><li>Haffner, M. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tracking+the+clonal+origin+of+lethal+prostate+cancer.">Tracking the clonal origin of lethal prostate cancer.</a> J Clin Invest. 123, 4918-4922 (2013).</li><li>Daya, S., Berns, K. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gene+therapy+using+adeno-associated+virus+vectors.">Gene therapy using adeno-associated virus vectors.</a> Clin Microbiol Rev. 21, 583-593 (2008).</li><li>Price, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comparative+Aspects+of+Development+and+Structure+in+the+Prostate.">Comparative Aspects of Development and Structure in the Prostate.</a> Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 12, 1-27 (1963).</li><li>McNeal, J. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Anatomy+of+the+prostate:+an+historical+survey+of+divergent+views.">Anatomy of the prostate: an historical survey of divergent views.</a> Prostate. 1, 3-13 (1980).</li><li>Thomsen, M. K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=SOX9+elevation+in+the+prostate+promotes+proliferation+and+cooperates+with+PTEN+loss+to+drive+tumor+formation.">SOX9 elevation in the prostate promotes proliferation and cooperates with PTEN loss to drive tumor formation.</a> Cancer Res. 70, 979-987 (2010).</li></ol>

In this protocol, we describe a method to alter gene expression in the anterior lobe of the murine prostate by virus injection, creating a powerful new mouse model for prostate cancer (Figure 2). The successful administration of an Adenovirus was first described by Leow et al. in 20058. We have previously shown how an Adenovirus coding for a Cre recombinase protein can replace time-consuming cross-breeding of a Cre allele for tissue-specific deletion <sup cla...

Detection and treatment of prostate cancer have significantly improved over the last decade. Still, the incidence of prostate cancer is increasing, following life expectancy. With an estimated 1.1 million new cases worldwide, it is among the most common causes of cancer-related death in men 1. Prostate cancer is slow in its development, but when the cancer has progressed to an advanced metastatic state, prognosis is poor due to limited treatment options. So far, only a few genes have been identified as common drivers in this cancer, and its heterogeneity and multifocality impedes detection of biomarkers and targetable disease drivers2,3.
Classical techniques of generating GEMMs are often impaired by their complexity, timely expenses, and costs. Conditional knockout models have been widely used to study prostate cancer candidate genes, that result in embryonic lethality when inactivated in the germline4. Most common models involve a prostate-specific Cre recombinase driven by either a modified Probasin5 or a PSA6 promoter integrated in the GEMM by additional cross-breeding. In these models, the gene of interest will be targeted in the majority of prostate epithelial cells, generating hyperplasia in the entire organ, which may impair the animal&#39;s urinary tract function7.
Viral delivery of the Cre protein by injection into the anterior lobe of the murine prostate can resolve this problem by only targeting a few cells8. Taking laboratories technical prerequisites, expertise, and objectives into account, the method benefits from a broad range of possible variations. Successful approaches utilizing Adenovirus targeting JunB and Pten9 or Lentivirus targeting Pten and Trp5310 have been shown amongst others. Adding transgenes, such as luciferase, to the viral construct or to the GEMM will furthermore enable non-invasive monitoring of disease progression via bioluminescence imaging11.
Genome editing based on the CRISPR/Cas9 technology reveals a new and rapid opportunity to study cancer through rapid generation of somatic knockouts12. Viral delivery of single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) directed to the anterior lobe of the murine prostate establishes a physiologically more relevant model of prostate cancer. By this means, single cells carrying chosen mutations can form clones that are capable of expansion and invasion. Furthermore, use of guide RNAs for multiple target genes will generate cell clones with alterations in different genes. This will allow tumor heterogeneity and a natural selection pressure on cancer progression, which can reveal the importance of each gene alteration or epistatic mechanisms.
Here we present a method to deliver viral particles to the murine prostate for alteration of gene expression. By a small abdominal incision, the murine anterior prostate lobe is exposed and viral particles are injected into the lobe. Five days post-surgery, surgical clips can be removed from the skin and the prostatic cancer can be analyzed from 8 weeks after. Overall, this is a rapid and cost-efficient procedure, which has little impact on the mouse and allows larger tumor to develop without compromising the mouse.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Equipment</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>B6J.129(B6N)-Gt(ROSA)26Sortm1(CAG-cas9*,-EGFP)Fezh/J mice</td>
			<td>The Jackson Laboratory</td>
			<td>26175</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0,5 ml U-100 insulin syringe</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>324825</td>
			<td>for virus injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1 ml syringe</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>300013</td>
			<td>for anesthesia injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>30 G 1/2&#39;&#39; needle</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>304000</td>
			<td>for anesthesia injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6-0 Polysorb Suture</td>
			<td>Medtronic</td>
			<td>GL889</td>
			<td>to close the peritoneum</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Disposable sterilized surgery drape</td>
			<td>multiple suppliers</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heating pad</td>
			<td>multiple suppliers</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Povidone-Iodine Prep Pad</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>06-669-70</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trimming machine</td>
			<td>Aesculap</td>
			<td>GT415</td>
			<td>to shave the abdomen</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dumont Forceps</td>
			<td>F.S.T</td>
			<td>11252-00</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Halsey Micro Needle Holder</td>
			<td>F.S.T</td>
			<td>12500-12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Iris Scissors</td>
			<td>F.S.T</td>
			<td>14094-11</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Narrow Pattern Forceps</td>
			<td>F.S.T</td>
			<td>11002-12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ring Forceps</td>
			<td>F.S.T</td>
			<td>11106-09</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Wound Clip System Handle incl. Clips</td>
			<td>F.S.T</td>
			<td>12030-01</td>
			<td>to close the skin</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Wound Clip System Remover</td>
			<td>F.S.T</td>
			<td>12030-04</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microscope</td>
			<td>Leica</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>different models have been used</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Reagents</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1x PBS</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>10010-023</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Antisedan</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>obtained from the animal facility</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Butorphanol</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>obtained from the animal facility</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Medetomidinhydrochlorid</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>obtained from the animal facility</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Midazolam</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>obtained from the animal facility</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>100% Ethanol</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>22-032-103</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Eye ointment</td>
			<td>Takeda</td>
			<td>7242</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Virus (AAV, AV)</td>
			<td>multiple suppliers</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>virus used in this protocol is an in-house production</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pAKT antibody</td>
			<td>CST</td>
			<td>4060</td>
			<td>used 1:200 dillution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GFP anitbody</td>
			<td>CST</td>
			<td>2956</td>
			<td>used 1:100 dillution</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

virus delivery of crispr guides to the murine prostate for gene alteration

With an increasing incidence of prostate cancer, identification of new tumor drivers or modulators is crucial. Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) for prostate cancer are hampered by tumor heterogeneity and its complex microevolution dynamics. Traditional prostate cancer mouse models include, amongst others, germline and conditional knockouts, transgenic expression of oncogenes, and xenograft models. Generation of de novo mutations in these models is complex, time-consuming, and costly. In addition, most of traditional models target the majority of the prostate epithelium, whereas human prostate cancer is well known to evolve as an isolated event in only a small subset of cells. Valuable models need to simulate not only prostate cancer initiation, but also progression to advanced disease.
Here we describe a method to target a few cells in the prostate epithelium by transducing cells by viral particles. The delivery of an engineered virus to the murine prostate allows alteration of gene expression in the prostate epithelia. Virus type and quantity will hereby define the number of targeted cells for gene alteration by transducing a few cells for cancer initiation and many cells for gene therapy. Through surgery-based injection in the anterior lobe, distal from the urinary track, the tumor in this model can expand without impairing the urinary function of the animal. Furthermore, by targeting only a subset of prostate epithelial cells the technique enables clonal expansion of the tumor, and therefore mimics human tumor initiation, progression, as well as invasion through the basal membrane.
This novel technique provides a powerful prostate cancer model with improved physiological relevance. Animal suffering is limited, and since no additional breeding is required, overall animal count is reduced. At the same time, analysis of new candidate genes and pathways is accelerated, which in turn is more cost efficient.

To assess virus delivery to the murine prostate, samples were analyzed three months after the surgery. The Rosa26-LSL-Cas9-EGFP mice12 express GFP in cells that have been exposed to Cre protein expressed by the virus. The prostate samples were examined with a fluorescence microscopy to identify areas with GFP signal (Figure 2A). The GFP signal indicates Cre activity in the prostate epithelium but not whether gene editing has been induc...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Virus Delivery of CRISPR Guides to the Murine Prostate for Gene Alteration at JoVE.com

Virus Delivery of CRISPR Guides to the Murine Prostate for Gene Alteration

This protocol describes a newly established method for virus delivery to the murine prostate. Using either CRISPR/Cas9 technology, gene overexpression, or Cre recombinase delivery, the technique allows orthotopic alteration of gene expression and implements a novel mouse model for prostate cancer.

With an increasing incidence of prostate cancer, identification of new tumor drivers or modulators is crucial. Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) ...

The overall goal of this surgical procedure is to alter gene expression in the murine prostate by viral delivery of CRISPR Cas9 guides for prostate cancer induction. This method can help addressing new questions in prostate cancer biology regards to analyzing and validating new genes in an in vivo setting. The main advantages of this technique is it allow rapid gene editing of multiple genes by only targeting a subset of the prostatic cells as seen in the human scenario.Someone who is new to the procedure may struggle at first because of organ size, and the precision that is needed for a successful surgical completion. To freshly prepare a total volume of 5 milliliters of anesthetic, mix 0.15 milliliters of one mg per milliliter medetomidine hydrochloride, 0.4 milliliters of 5 mg per milliliter of midazolam, and 0.25 milliliters of 10 mg per milliliter butorphenol. Then, add 4.2 milliliters of sterile saline water.To reverse the effects of medetomidine hydrochloride post surgery, mix 0.1 milliliter of 5 mg per milliliter atipamezole with 4.9 milliliters of sterile saline water as an anesthesia antidote. Prepare an aseptic surgical environment by proper disinfection and sterilization and autoclave the surgical instruments. To deliver virus to the prostate, after anesthetizing an eight-week-old male mouse according to the text protocol;examine the anesthetic depth by assessing muscle relaxation, pedal withdrawal, and palpable reflexes.When loss of reflexes is observed, shave the lower abdomen of the animal. Using a sterile cotton swab, carefully cover the animal's eyes with veterinary ophthalmic ointment to prevent blindness caused by xerophthalmia. Then, use 70%ethanol and 10%providone iodine to wipe the shaved abdomen to disinfect the surgical area.Next, using sterile surgical scissors, make an approximately one centimeter vertical skin incision at the low abdominal midline. Then, with a fine point forceps, lift the peritoneum to prevent damaging the organs that are laying underneath;and use surgical scissors to carefully make an eight millimeter or shorter incision through the peritoneum. Gently move the fat tissue aside to uncover the seminal vesicle.Then, using a ring forceps, carefully lift up the seminal vesicle until the anterior prostate can be identified. Now, with a 0.5 milliliter insulin syringe and a 30 gauge 8 millimeter needle;inject a total volume of 30 microliters of virus solution into the anterior prostate epithelium. Minimize leakage and ensure the fluid is absorbed within the tissue, forming a small bubble.Then, place the seminal vesicle back in the abdominal cavity. To ensure the fluid is absorbed within the tissue in a small bubble and without leakage, make sure to inject parallel to the seminal vesicle and following the shape of the anterior prostate lobe. With a taper point needle and a 13 millimeter 3/8 circle, suture the perineum with two to three simple interrupted stitches of 6-0 absorbable suture.Then, lifting the skin with forceps to avoid damaging the peritoneum;staple the skin with three sterile 4.8 by a 6.5 millimeter clips. For better recovery following surgery, use a sterile 1 milliliter syringe and a 27 gauge by 1/2 inch needle to administer the anesthesia antidote in a dose of 0.1 milliliters per gram body weight by intraperitoneal injection. Then, carefully place the animal back in its cage.Keep the cage on a heating pad for one hour after the procedure to prevent hypothermia until fully recovered. The animal should awaken a few minutes after the injection. Continue to monitor and treat the animal daily according to the text protocol.And, when the wound has closed, remove the skin clips. To assess virus delivery to the murine prostate, samples were analyzed three months after surgery. As shown here, the mice used in this study expressed GFP in cells that have been exposed to the Cree protein expressed by the virus.The GFP signal shows Cree activity in the prostate epithelium but not whether gene editing had been induced by the CRISPR guide. These immunohistochemical sections identify focal areas of cells with high expressions of pAKT, indicating loss of P10. In these panels, costaining for pAKT and GFP identified double positive cells, which confirmed that transformation of prostatic cells by the adeno-associated virus.Over all, these results show that in vivo, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing can be performed in the prostate epithelium by using the Rosa26-LSL-Cas9-EGFP mouse and the adeno-associated virus. Once mastered, the procedure can be done in 15 minutes. This technique paved the way for research in the field of prostate cancer to examine multiple genes with simultaneous in vivo.After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to deliver substrate to the murine prostate. Don't forget that when working with some viruses can be extremely hazardous and precautions should always be taken when doing these procedures.

virus-delivery-crispr-guides-to-murine-prostate-for-gene

Research

JoVE Journal

Cancer Research

A Mouse Model of Fatigue Induced by Peripheral Irradiation

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a distressing and costly condition that often affects patients receiving cancer treatments, including radiation therapy. Here we describe a method using targeted peripheral irradiation to induce fatigue-like behavior in mice. With appropriate shielding, the irradiation targets the lower abdominal/pelvic region of the mouse, sparing the brain, in an effort to model radiation treatment received by individuals with pelvic cancers. We deliver an irradiation dose that is sufficient to induce fatigue-like behavior in mice, measured by voluntary wheel-running activity (VWRA), without causing obvious morbidity. Since wheel running is a normal, voluntary behavior in mice, its use should have little confounding effect on other behavioral tests or biological measures. Hence, wheel running can be used as a feasible outcome measure in understanding the behavioral and biological correlates of fatigue. CRF is a complex condition with frequent comorbidities, and likely has causes related both to cancer and its various treatments. The methods described in this paper are useful for investigating radiation-induced changes that contribute to the development of CRF and, more generally, to explore the biological networks that can explain the development and persistence of a peripherally-triggered but centrally-driven behavior like fatigue.

We describe a method using targeted peripheral irradiation to induce fatigue-like behavior in mice. The selected non-lethal irradiation dose leads to a week-long reduction in voluntary wheel-running activity.

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a distressing and costly condition that often affects patients receiving cancer treatments, including radiation therapy. ...

Identification and Characterization of Metastatic Factors by Gene Transfer into the Novel RIP-Tag; RIP-tva Murine Model

Metastatic cancer accounts for 90% of deaths in patients with solid tumors. There is an urgent need to better understand the drivers of cancer metastasis and to identify novel therapeutic targets. To investigate molecular events that drive the progression from primary cancer to metastasis, we have developed a bitransgenic mouse model, RIP-Tag; RIP-tva. In this mouse model, the rat insulin promoter (RIP) drives the expression of the SV40 T antigen (Tag) and the receptor for subgroup A avian leukosis virus (tva) in pancreatic &#946; cells. The mice develop pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with 100% penetrance through well-defined stages that are similar to human tumorigenesis, with stages including hyperplasia, angiogenesis, adenoma, and invasive carcinoma. Because RIP-Tag; RIP-tva mice do not develop metastatic disease, genetic alterations that promote metastasis can be identified easily. Somatic gene transfer into tva-expressing, proliferating pancreatic &#946; premalignant lesions is achieved through intracardiac injection of avian retroviruses harboring the desired genetic alteration. A titer of &#62;1 x 108 infectious units per ml is considered appropriate for in vivo infection. In addition, avian retroviruses can infect cell lines derived from tumors in RIP-Tag; RIP-tva mice with high efficiency. The cell lines can also be used to characterize the metastatic factors. Here we demonstrate how to utilize this mouse model and cell lines to assess the functions of candidate genes in tumor metastasis.

Identification and Characterization of Metastatic Factors by Gene Transfer into the Novel RIP-Tag; RIP-tva Murine Model

We present a protocol to demonstrate a novel somatic gene transfer system utilizing RIP-Tag; RIP-tva mouse model to study the function of genes in metastasis. The avian retroviruses are delivered intracardiacally to ensure gene transfer into pre-malignant, noninvasive lesions of pancreatic &#946; cells in adult mice.

Metastatic cancer accounts for 90% of deaths in patients with solid tumors. There is an urgent need to better understand the drivers of cancer metastasis ...

Generation of Prostate Cancer Cell Models of Resistance to the Anti-mitotic Agent Docetaxel

Microtubule targeting agents (MTAs) are a mainstay in the treatment of a wide range of tumors. However, acquired resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs is a common mechanism of disease progression and a prognostic-determinant feature of malignant tumors. In prostate cancer (PC), resistance to MTAs such as the taxane Docetaxel dictates treatment failure as well as progression towards lethal stages of disease that are defined by a poor prognosis and high mortality rates. Though studied for decades, the array of mechanisms contributing to acquired resistance are not completely understood, and thus pose a significant limitation to the development of new therapeutic strategies that could benefit patients in these advanced stages of disease. In this protocol, we describe the generation of Docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cell lines that mimic lethal features of late-stage prostate cancer, and therefore can be used to study the mechanisms by which acquired chemoresistance arises. Despite potential limitations intrinsic to a cell based model, such as the loss of resistance properties over time, the Docetaxel-resistant cell lines produced by this method have been successfully used in recent studies and offer&#160;the opportunity to advance our molecular understanding of acquired chemoresistance in lethal prostate cancer.

Resistance to cancer therapies contributes to disease progression and death. Determining the mechanistic underpinnings of resistance is crucial for improving therapeutic response. This manuscript details the protocol to generate taxane-resistant cell models of prostate cancer (PC) to help dissecting the pathways involved in progression to Docetaxel resistance in PC patients.

Microtubule targeting agents (MTAs) are a mainstay in the treatment of a wide range of tumors. However, acquired resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs is a ...

Using CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing to Investigate the Oncogenic Activity of Mutant Calreticulin in Cytokine Dependent Hematopoietic Cells

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is an adaptive immunity system in prokaryotes that has been repurposed by scientists to generate RNA-guided nucleases, such as CRISPR-associated (Cas) 9 for site-specific eukaryotic genome editing. Genome engineering by Cas9 is used to efficiently, easily and robustly modify endogenous genes in many biomedically-relevant mammalian cell lines and organisms. Here we show an example of how to utilize the CRISPR/Cas9 methodology to understand the biological function of specific genetic mutations. We model calreticulin (CALR) mutations in murine interleukin-3 (mIL-3) dependent pro-B (Ba/F3) cells by delivery of single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) targeting the endogenous Calr locus in the specific region where insertion and/or deletion (indel) CALR mutations occur in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), a type of blood cancer. The sgRNAs create double strand breaks (DSBs) in the targeted region that are repaired by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) to give indels of various sizes. We then employ the standard Ba/F3 cellular transformation assay to understand the effect of physiological level expression of Calr mutations on hematopoietic cellular transformation. This approach can be applied to other genes to study their biological function in various mammalian cell lines.

Targeted gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9 has greatly facilitated the understanding of the biological functions of genes. Here, we utilize the CRISPR/Cas9 methodology to model calreticulin mutations in cytokine-dependent hematopoietic cells in order to study their oncogenic activity.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is an adaptive immunity system in prokaryotes that has been repurposed by scientists to ...

Fabrication of Tongue Extracellular Matrix and Reconstitution of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vitro

In order to construct an effective and realistic model for tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) in vitro, the methods were created to produce decellularized tongue extracellular matrix (TEM) which provides functional scaffolds for TSCC construction. TEM provides an in vitro niche for cell growth, differentiation, and cell migration. The microstructures of native extracellular matrix (ECM) and biochemical compositions retained in the decellularized matrix provide tissue-specific niches for anchoring cells. The fabrication of TEM can be realized by deoxyribonuclease (DNase) digestion accompanied with a serious of organic or inorganic pretreatment. This protocol is easy to operate and ensures high efficiency for the decellularization. The TEM showed favorable cytocompatibility for TSCC cells under static or stirred culture conditions, which enables the construction of the TSCC model. A self-made bioreactor was also used for the persistent stirred condition for cell culture. Reconstructed TSCC using TEM showed the characteristics and properties resembling clinical TSCC histopathology, suggesting the potential in TSCC research.

Fabrication of Tongue Extracellular Matrix and Reconstitution of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vitro

A method is shown here for the preparation of the tongue extracellular matrix (TEM) with efficient decellularization. The TEM can be used as functional scaffolds for the reconstruction of a tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) model under static or stirred culture conditions.

In order to construct an effective and realistic model for tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) in vitro, the methods were created to produce ...

A Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Orthotopic Syngeneic Murine Model of Androgen-dependent and Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer

Orthotopic tumor modeling is a valuable tool for pre-clinical prostate cancer research, as it has multiple advantages over both subcutaneous and transgenic genetically engineered mouse models. Unlike subcutaneous tumors, orthotopic tumors contain more clinically accurate vasculature, tumor microenvironment, and responses to multiple therapies. In contrast to genetically engineered mouse models, orthotopic models can be performed with lower cost and in less time, involve the use of highly complex and heterogeneous mouse or human cancer cell lines, rather that single genetic alterations, and these cell lines can be genetically modified, such as to express imaging agents. Here, we present a protocol to surgically injecting a luciferase- and mCherry-expressing murine prostate cancer cell line into the anterior prostate lobe of mice. These mice developed orthotopic tumors that were non-invasively monitored in vivo and further analyzed for tumor volume, weight, mouse survival, and immune infiltration. Further, orthotopic tumor-bearing mice were surgically castrated, leading to immediate tumor regression and subsequent recurrence, representing castration-resistant prostate cancer. Although technical skill is required to carry out this procedure, this syngeneic orthotopic model of both androgen-dependent and castration-resistant prostate cancer is of great use to all investigators in the field.

The goal of this protocol is to demonstrate the intra-prostatic injection of prostate cancer cells, with subsequent castration. Orthotopic pre-clinical models of androgen-dependent and castration-resistant prostate cancer are critical to study the disease in the context of a clinically relevant tumor microenvironment and an immunocompetent host.

Orthotopic tumor modeling is a valuable tool for pre-clinical prostate cancer research, as it has multiple advantages over both subcutaneous and ...

Phosphopeptide Enrichment Coupled with Label-free Quantitative Mass Spectrometry to Investigate the Phosphoproteome in Prostate Cancer

Phosphoproteomics involves the large-scale study of phosphorylated proteins. Protein phosphorylation is a critical step in many signal transduction pathways and is tightly regulated by kinases and phosphatases. Therefore, characterizing the phosphoproteome may provide insights into identifying novel targets and biomarkers for oncologic therapy. Mass spectrometry provides a way to globally detect and quantify thousands of unique phosphorylation events. However, phosphopeptides are much less abundant than non-phosphopeptides, making biochemical analysis more challenging. To overcome this limitation, methods to enrich phosphopeptides prior to the mass spectrometry analysis are required. We describe a procedure to extract and digest proteins from tissue to yield peptides, followed by an enrichment for phosphotyrosine (pY) and phosphoserine/threonine (pST) peptides using an antibody-based and/or titanium dioxide (TiO2)-based enrichment method. After the sample preparation and mass spectrometry, we subsequently identify and quantify phosphopeptides using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and analysis software.

This protocol describes a procedure to extract and enrich phosphopeptides from prostate cancer cell lines or tissues for an analysis of the phosphoproteome via mass spectrometry-based proteomics.

Phosphoproteomics involves the large-scale study of phosphorylated proteins. Protein phosphorylation is a critical step in many signal transduction ...

Preparation of Exosomes for siRNA Delivery to Cancer Cells

Extracellular vesicles, in particular exosomes, have recently gained interest as novel drug delivery vectors due to their biological origin, abundance, and intrinsic capability in intercellular delivery of various biomolecules. This work establishes an isolation protocol to achieve high yield and high purity of exosomes for siRNA delivery. Human Embryonic Kidney cells (HEK-293 cells) are cultured in bioreactor flasks and the culture supernatant (hereon referred to as conditioned medium) is harvested on a weekly basis to allow for enrichment of HEK-293 exosomes. The conditioned medium (CM) is pre-cleared of dead cells and cellular debris by differential centrifugation and is subjected to ultracentrifugation onto a sucrose cushion followed by a washing step, to collect the exosomes. Isolated HEK-293 exosomes are characterized for yield, morphology and exosomal marker expression by nanoparticle tracking analysis, protein quantification, electron microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively. Small interfering RNA (siRNA), fluorescently labeled with Atto655, is loaded into exosomes by electroporation and excess siRNA is removed by gel filtration. Cell uptake in PANC-1 cancer cells, after 24 h incubation at 37 &#176;C, is confirmed by flow cytometry. HEK-293 exosomes are 107.0 &#177; 8.2 nm in diameter. The exosome yield and particle-to-protein ratio (P:P) ratio are 6.99 &#177; 0.22 &#215; 1012 particle/mL and 8.3 &#177; 1.7 &#215; 1010 particle/&#181;g, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of siRNA in exosomes is ~ 10-20%. Forty percent of the cells show positive signals for Atto655 at 24 h post-incubation. In conclusion, exosome isolation by ultracentrifugation onto sucrose cushion offers a combination of good yield and purity. siRNA could be successfully loaded into exosomes by electroporation and subsequently delivered into cancer cells in vitro. This protocol offers a standard procedure for developing siRNA-loaded exosomes for efficient delivery to cancer cells.

An exosome is a new generation of drug delivery carriers. We established an exosome isolation protocol with high yield and purity for siRNA delivery. We also encapsulated fluorescently labelled non-specific siRNA into exosomes and investigated the cellular uptake of siRNA-loaded exosomes in cancer cells.

Extracellular vesicles, in particular exosomes, have recently gained interest as novel drug delivery vectors due to their biological origin, abundance, ...

In Vitro Establishment of a Genetically Engineered Murine Head and Neck Cancer Cell Line using an Adeno-Associated Virus-Cas9 System

The use of primary normal epithelial cells makes it possible to reproducibly induce genomic alterations required for cellular transformation by introducing specific mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, using clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-based genome editing technology in mice. This technology allows us to accurately mimic the genetic changes that occur in human cancers using mice. By genetically transforming murine primary cells, we can better study cancer development, progression, treatment, and diagnosis. In this study, we used Cre-inducible Cas9 mouse tongue epithelial cells to enable genome editing using adeno-associated virus (AAV) in vitro. Specifically, by altering KRAS, p53, and APC in normal tongue epithelial cells, we generated a murine head and neck cancer (HNC) cell line in vitro,which is tumorigenic in syngeneic mice. The method presented here describes in detail how to generate HNC cell lines with specific genomic alterations and explains their suitability for predicting tumor progression in syngeneic mice. We envision that this promising method will be informative and useful to study tumor biology and therapy of HNC.

Development of murine models with specific genes mutated in head and neck cancer patients is required for understanding of neoplasia. Here, we present a protocol for in vitro transformation of primary murine tongue cells using an adeno-associated virus-Cas9 system to generate murine HNC cell lines with specific genomic alterations.

The use of primary normal epithelial cells makes it possible to reproducibly induce genomic alterations required for cellular transformation by ...

Testing Targeted Therapies in Cancer using Structural DNA Alteration Analysis and Patient-Derived Xenografts

We present here an integrative approach for testing efficacy of targeted therapies that combines the next generation sequencing technolo-gies, therapeutic target analyses and drug response monitoring using patient derived xenografts (PDX). This strategy was validated using ovarian tumors as an example. The mate-pair next generation sequencing (MPseq) protocol was used to identify structural alterations and followed by analysis of potentially targetable alterations. Human tumors grown in immunocompromised mice were treated with drugs selected based on the genomic analyses. Results demonstrated a good correlation between the predicted and the observed responses in the PDX model. The presented approach can be used to test the efficacy of combination treatments and aid personalized treatment for patients with recurrent cancer, specifically in cases when standard therapy fails and there is a need to use drugs off label.

Here we present a protocol to test the efficacy of targeted therapies selected based on the genomic makeup of a tumor. The protocol describes identification and validation of structural DNA rearrangements, engraftment of patients&#8217; tumors into mice and testing responses to corresponding drugs.

We present here an integrative approach for testing efficacy of targeted therapies that combines the next generation sequencing technolo-gies, therapeutic ...