Longitudinal imaging is used in pre-clinical studies to follow the progress of a disease or measure the effect of a therapeutic. In oncology, optical methods provide rigorous tools to monitor tumor growth and deliver precise quantitation of cell growth or gene expression at each time point in such a study. Anatomical changes can be measured using a high resolution technique like microCT, but for longitudinal imaging a low X-ray dose must be used to avoid biological artifacts. Optical and microCT images can be co-registered to provide a combination of functional and anatomical data ensuring that maximum information is extracted from the animal model.
1. Cell preparation
<ol>
<li>Caliper provides a range of luciferase expressing cancer cell lines for pre-clinical research in mouse models.</li>
<li>MDA-MB-231-luc-D2H2LN is a human mammary tumor cell line expressing the luciferase gene which can be used as an optical indicator of tumorgenesis in vivo. This cell line is created from a spontaneous lymph node metastasis that originated from a D3H1 mammary fat pad tumor and is known to aggressively form metastases.</li>
<li>The cells are provided as a pathogen-free frozen culture which readily grows in standard media with no need for selection markers.</li>
<li>To verify Luciferase activity before injection into the animal a 90% confluent flask is harvested by trypsinization. Luciferase activity is measured by dispensing 50,000 cells in a microtiter plate and performing serial dilution.</li>
</ol>
2. Intracardiac injection of cells in animals
<ol>
<li>Before injection, animals are anesthetized using 3% isoflurane.</li>
<li>1-3 million cells are injected in 50ul volume in to the left ventricle. Cell suspension contains 150ug/ml D-Luciferin to validate injection technique.</li>
<li>To confirm a correct intracardiac injection mice are imaged in the IVIS system. Mice that show BLI signal throughout the body have been injected correctly. If signal is localized the cells were not injected correctly in the heart.</li>
</ol>
3. BLI imaging to monitor metastases
<ol>
<li>The imaging shuttle supports the mouse for data capture in both IVIS Spectrum and the QuantumFX microCT system.</li>
<li>The shuttle helps maintain the animal in the same position for imaging and incorporates fiducial signals to aid in automatic co-registration. The chamber is connected to the isofluorance vaporizer to maintain anesthesia.</li>
<li>Imaging wizard in the Living Image software 4.1 can be used to automatically select the exposure time, f-stop and binning and ensure quantitative data collection.</li>
<li>Multiple images can be acquired and compared in longitudinal studies covering seconds or months depending on the nature of the experiment.</li>
<li>Day 6 post injection of cells, BLI imaging with IVIS Spectrum shows metastases to the bone in seven out of nine mice.</li>
</ol>
4. Longitudinal monitoring of osteolytic lesions using micro CT
<ol>
<li>Mice that showed clear bone metastases visible using BLI were imaged in the Quantum FX micro CT system.</li>
<li>The Quantum FX micro CT system delivers high quality images at an X-ray dose low enough to enable true longitudinal micro CT in preclinical studies.</li>
<li>Bone degradation in both legs can be longitudinally monitored using this system in less than a minute.</li>
<li>Mice are anesthetized with 3% isoflurane and can be transferred directly from the IVIS Spectrum system.</li>
<li>Two 60mm images are stitched together to capture the whole animal view.</li>
<li>A 30mm FOV is ideal for imaging the knee joint in high resolution.</li>
<li>A single scan with high enough resolution to measure and quantify bone metastases takes just 18 seconds and delivers a dose of only 13mGy.</li>
<li>Mice were imaged up to 8 times in 36 days with the micro CT system without affecting the tumor growth or health of the animal.</li>
<li>The micro CT imaging showed that bone leisions were visible on Day 10 and progressed very rapidly, corresponding to the increase in BLI signal.</li>
</ol>
5. 3D co-registration and analysis of BLI and uCT
<ol>
<li>Once images have been captured on both the IVIS spectrum and Quantum FX micro CT system data can be co-registered into a 3D reconstruction.</li>
<li>MicroCT images are exported as DICOM files and loaded into the Living Image 4.1 3D Multi modality tool.</li>
<li>In the Living Image Software run the DLIT program to three dimensionally reconstruct the optical signal.</li>
<li>The fiducial tool in the software is used to co-register the optical BLI signal to the micro CT image.</li>
<li>Coregistered data sets can be analyzed quantitatively to monitor multiple parameters during disease progression here we are tracking growth of the metastatic tumor together with development of the osteolytic lesion in the bone.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Jenkins, D. E., Hornig, Y. S., Oei, Y., Dusich, J., Purchio, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Bioluminescent+Human+Breast+Cancer+Cell+Lines+that+Permit+Rapid+and+Sensitive+in+vivo+Detection+of+Mammary+Tumors+and+Multiple+Metastases+in+Immune+Deficient+Mice.">Bioluminescent Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines that Permit Rapid and Sensitive in vivo Detection of Mammary Tumors and Multiple Metastases in Immune Deficient Mice.</a> Breast Cancer Research. 7, R444-R454 (2005).</li><li>Cowey, S., Szafran, A. A., Kappes, J., Zinn, K. R., Siegal, G. P., Desmond, R. A., Kim, H., Evans, L., Hardy, R. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Breast+Cancer+Metastasis+to+Bone:+Evaluation+of+Bioluminescent+Imaging+and+MicroSPECT/CT+for+Detecting+Bone+Metastasis+in+Immunodeficient+Mice.">Breast Cancer Metastasis to Bone: Evaluation of Bioluminescent Imaging and MicroSPECT/CT for Detecting Bone Metastasis in Immunodeficient Mice.</a> Clinical and Experimental Metastasis. 24, 389-401 (2007).</li><li>Labrinidis, A., Hay, S., Liapis, V., Ponomarev, V., Findlay, D. M., Evdokiou, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Zoledronic+Acid+Inhibits+Both+the+Osteolytic+and+Osteoblastic+Components+of+Osteosarcoma+Lesions+in+a+Mouse+Model.">Zoledronic Acid Inhibits Both the Osteolytic and Osteoblastic Components of Osteosarcoma Lesions in a Mouse Model.</a> Clinical Cancer Research. 15, (2009).</li><li>Kaijzel, E. L., Pluijm, G. v. a. n. d. e. r., Lowik, C. W. G. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Whole-Body+Optical+Imaging+in+Animal+Models+to+Assess+Cancer+Development+and+Progression.">Whole-Body Optical Imaging in Animal Models to Assess Cancer Development and Progression.</a> Clinical Cancer Research. 13, 3490-3497 (2007).</li><li>Minn, A. J., Kang, Y., Serganova, I., Gupta, G. P., Giri, D. D., Doubrovin, M., Ponomarev, V., Gerald, W. L., Blasberg, R., Massague, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Distinct+Organ-Specific+Metastatic+Potential+of+Individual+Breast+Cancer+Cells+and+Primary+Tumors.">Distinct Organ-Specific Metastatic Potential of Individual Breast Cancer Cells and Primary Tumors.</a> The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 115, (2005).</li><li>Xu, H., Christensen, A., Kuo, C., Nilson, D., Lim, E., Whalen, J., Kim, J. B., Zhang, N., Singh, R., Oldfield, S., Troy, T., Rice, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Co-registration+of+in+vivo+Optical+Tomography+and+Micro-CT+for+Longitudinal+Studies.">Co-registration of in vivo Optical Tomography and Micro-CT for Longitudinal Studies.</a> Word Molecular Imaging Congress. , (2010).</li></ol>

The authors are employees of Caliper Life Sciences who make the instrument featured in this article.

Small animal imaging with microCT has been applied to monitoring osteolytic lesions under pathological conditions, such as tumor development (Cowey et al. 2007; Labrinidis et al., 2009). As bioluminescence imaging of luciferase labeled tumors has been widely adopted pre-clinically, co-registration of bioluminescence and microCT images provided a better definition of anatomical location of the bioluminescence signals (Kaijzel et al. 2007). Previous study with a luciferase labeled breast tumor cell line MDA-MB-231-luc-D3H2LN showed metastases to bone and development of osteolytic lesions following intra-cardiac injection (Jenkins et al 2005; Minn et al., 2005). In this study, we explored a longitudinal study of tumor metastases and osteolytic activity with combinatory optical and low-radiation-dose microCT imaging with the systemic MDA-MB-231-luc-D3H2LN metastasis model. We performed sequential imaging with IVIS Spectrum and Quantum FX microCT systems and achieved bioluminescence and CT co-registration with our newly developed Living Image 4.1 software (Heng et al., 2010). Bioluminescence imaging with IVIS provides non-invasive detection of the tumor cells with high sensitivity, allowing the tumors to be detected at early stage. Imaging with Quantum FX allows accurate 3D reconstruction of the bone lesions and detailed anatomical information. Quantum FX system offers low radiation dose imaging, which enables longitudinal monitoring of disease progression. Correlation of bone lesions and tumor metastases was depicted in the co-registered image, and the advantage of multimodality tracking of lesion development longitudinally was clearly demonstrated.

monitoring tumor metastases and osteolytic lesions with bioluminescence and micro ct imaging

Following intracardiac delivery of MDA-MB-231-luc-D3H2LN cells to Nu/Nu mice, systemic metastases developed in the injected animals. Bioluminescence imaging using IVIS Spectrum was employed to monitor the distribution and development of the tumor cells following the delivery procedure including DLIT reconstruction to measure the tumor signal and its location.
Development of metastatic lesions to the bone tissues triggers osteolytic activity and lesions to tibia and femur were evaluated longitudinally using micro CT. Imaging was performed using a Quantum FX micro CT system with fast imaging and low X-ray dose. The low radiation dose allows multiple imaging sessions to be performed with a cumulative X-ray dosage far below LD50. A mouse imaging shuttle device was used to sequentially image the mice with both IVIS Spectrum and Quantum FX achieving accurate animal positioning in both the bioluminescence and CT images. The optical and CT data sets were co-registered in 3-dimentions using the Living Image 4.1 software. This multi-mode approach allows close monitoring of tumor growth and development simultaneously with osteolytic activity.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Monitoring Tumor Metastases and Osteolytic Lesions with Bioluminescence and Micro CT Imaging at JoVE.com

Monitoring Tumor Metastases and Osteolytic Lesions with Bioluminescence and Micro CT Imaging

An experimental mouse model of bone metastasis was established following intracardiac delivery of luciferase expressing mammary tumor cells. Tumor development and resulted osteolytic lesion were monitored longitudinally with bioluminescence and micro CT imaging.

Following intracardiac delivery of MDA-MB-231-luc-D3H2LN cells to Nu/Nu mice, systemic metastases developed in the injected animals. Bioluminescence ...

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Video: Monitoring Tumor Metastases and Osteolytic Lesions with Bioluminescence and Micro CT Imaging

Labeling of Breast Cancer Patient-derived Xenografts with Traceable Reporters for Tumor Growth and Metastasis Studies

The use of preclinical models to study tumor biology and response to treatment is central to cancer research. Long-established human cell lines, and many transgenic mouse models, often fail to recapitulate the key aspects of human malignancies. Thus, alternative models that better represent the heterogeneity of patients' tumors and their metastases are being developed. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models in which surgically resected tumor samples are engrafted into immunocompromised mice have become an attractive alternative as they can be transplanted through multiple generations,and more efficiently reflect tumor heterogeneity than xenografts derived from human cancer cell lines. A limitation to the use of PDXs is that they are difficult to transfect or transduce to introduce traceable reporters or to manipulate gene expression. The current protocol describes methods to transduce dissociated tumor cells from PDXs with high transduction efficiency, and the use of labeled PDXs for experimental models of breast cancer metastases. The protocol also demonstrates the use of labeled PDXs in experimental metastasis models to study the organ-colonization process of the metastatic cascade. Metastases to different organs can be easily visualized and quantified using bioluminescent imaging in live animals, or GFP expression during dissection and in excised organs. These methods provide a powerful tool to extend the use of multiple types of PDXs to metastasis research.

We describe a method for stable labeling of patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) with lentiviral particles expressing green-fluorescent protein and luciferase reporters. This method allows for tracking the growth of PDXs at the primary site, as well as detecting spontaneous and experimental metastases using in vivo imaging systems.

The use of preclinical models to study tumor biology and response to treatment is central to cancer research. Long-established human cell lines, and many ...

Cancer Research

In vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of Tumor Hypoxia Dynamics of Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis in a Mouse Model

It is well recognized that tumor hypoxia plays an important role in promoting malignant progression and affecting therapeutic response negatively. There is little knowledge about in situ, in vivo, tumor hypoxia during intracranial development of malignant brain tumors because of lack of efficient means to monitor it in these deep-seated orthotopic tumors. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI), based on the detection of light emitted by living cells expressing a luciferase gene, has been rapidly adopted for cancer research, in particular, to evaluate tumor growth or tumor size changes in response to treatment in preclinical animal studies. Moreover, by expressing a reporter gene under the control of a promoter sequence, the specific gene expression can be monitored non-invasively by BLI. Under hypoxic stress, signaling responses are mediated mainly via the hypoxia inducible factor-1&alpha; (HIF-1&alpha;) to drive transcription of various genes. Therefore, we have used a HIF-1&alpha; reporter construct, 5HRE-ODD-luc, stably transfected into human breast cancer MDA-MB231 cells (MDA-MB231/5HRE-ODD-luc). In vitro HIF-1&alpha; bioluminescence assay is performed by incubating the transfected cells in a hypoxic chamber (0.1% O2) for 24 hr before BLI, while the cells in normoxia (21% O2) serve as a control. Significantly higher photon flux observed for the cells under hypoxia suggests an increased HIF-1&alpha; binding to its promoter (HRE elements), as compared to those in normoxia. Cells are injected directly into the mouse brain to establish a breast cancer brain metastasis model. In vivo bioluminescence imaging of tumor hypoxia dynamics is initiated 2 wks after implantation and repeated once a week. BLI reveals increasing light signals from the brain as the tumor progresses, indicating increased intracranial tumor hypoxia. Histological and immunohistochemical studies are used to confirm the in vivo imaging results. Here, we will introduce approaches of in vitro HIF-1&alpha; bioluminescence assay, surgical establishment of a breast cancer brain metastasis in a nude mouse and application of in vivo bioluminescence imaging to monitor intracranial tumor hypoxia.

In vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of Tumor Hypoxia Dynamics of Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis in a Mouse Model

Bioluminescence imaging of hypoxia inducible factor-1&alpha; activity is applied to monitor intracranial tumor hypoxia development in a breast cancer brain metastasis mouse model.

It is well recognized that tumor hypoxia plays an important role in promoting malignant progression and affecting therapeutic response negatively. There ...

Multimodal Bioluminescent and Positronic-emission Tomography/Computational Tomography Imaging of Multiple Myeloma Bone Marrow Xenografts in NOG Mice

Multiple myeloma (MM) tumors engraft in the bone marrow (BM) and their survival and progression are dependent upon complex molecular and cellular interactions that exist within this microenvironment. Yet the BM microenvironment cannot be easily replicated in vitro, which potentially limits the physiologic relevance of many in vitro and ex vivo experimental models. These issues can be overcome by utilizing a xenograft model in which luciferase (LUC)-transfected 8226 MM cells will specifically engraft in the mouse skeleton. When these mice are given the appropriate substrate, D-luciferin, the effects of therapy on tumor growth and survival can be analyzed by measuring changes in the bioluminescent images (BLI) produced by the tumors in vivo. This BLI data combined with positronic-emission tomography/computational tomography (PET/CT) analysis using the metabolic marker 2-deoxy-2-(18F)fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) is used to monitor changes in tumor metabolism over time. These imaging platforms allow for multiple noninvasive measurements within the tumor/BM microenvironment.

Here we use bioluminescent, X-ray, and positron-emission tomography/computed tomography imaging to study how inhibiting mTOR activity impacts bone marrow-engrafted myeloma tumors in a xenograft model. This allows for physiologically relevant, non-invasive, and multimodal analyses of the anti-myeloma effect of therapies targeting bone marrow-engrafted myeloma tumors in vivo.

Multiple myeloma (MM) tumors engraft in the bone marrow (BM) and their survival and progression are dependent upon complex molecular and cellular ...

Multi-modal Imaging of Angiogenesis in a Nude Rat Model of Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Volumetric Computed Tomography and Ultrasound

Angiogenesis is an essential feature of cancer growth and metastasis formation. In bone metastasis, angiogenic factors are pivotal for tumor cell proliferation in the bone marrow cavity as well as for interaction of tumor and bone cells resulting in local bone destruction. Our aim was to develop a model of experimental bone metastasis that allows in vivo assessment of angiogenesis in skeletal lesions using non-invasive imaging techniques.
For this purpose, we injected 105 MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells into the superficial epigastric artery, which precludes the growth of metastases in body areas other than the respective hind leg1. Following 25-30 days after tumor cell inoculation, site-specific bone metastases develop, restricted to the distal femur, proximal tibia and proximal fibula1. Morphological and functional aspects of angiogenesis can be investigated longitudinally in bone metastases using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), volumetric computed tomography (VCT) and ultrasound (US).
MRI displays morphologic information on the soft tissue part of bone metastases that is initially confined to the bone marrow cavity and subsequently exceeds cortical bone while progressing. Using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) functional data including regional blood volume, perfusion and vessel permeability can be obtained and quantified2-4. Bone destruction is captured in high resolution using morphological VCT imaging. Complementary to MRI findings, osteolytic lesions can be located adjacent to sites of intramedullary tumor growth. After contrast agent application, VCT angiography reveals the macrovessel architecture in bone metastases in high resolution, and DCE-VCT enables insight in the microcirculation of these lesions5,6. US is applicable to assess morphological and functional features from skeletal lesions due to local osteolysis of cortical bone. Using B-mode and Doppler techniques, structure and perfusion of the soft tissue metastases can be evaluated, respectively. DCE-US allows for real-time imaging of vascularization in bone metastases after injection of microbubbles7.
In conclusion, in a model of site-specific breast cancer bone metastases multi-modal imaging techniques including MRI, VCT and US offer complementary information on morphology and functional parameters of angiogenesis in these skeletal lesions.

In the pathogenesis of bone metastasis, angiogenesis is a crucial process and therefore represents a target for imaging and therapy. Here, we present a rat model of site-specific breast cancer bone metastasis and describe strategies to non-invasively image angiogenesis in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging, volumetric computed tomography and ultrasound.

Angiogenesis is an essential feature of cancer growth and metastasis formation. In bone metastasis, angiogenic factors are pivotal for tumor cell ...

Models of Bone Metastasis

Bone metastases are a common occurrence in several malignancies, including breast, prostate, and lung. Once established in bone, tumors are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality1. Thus, there is a significant need to understand the molecular mechanisms controlling the establishment, growth and activity of tumors in bone. Several in vivo models have been established to study these events and each has specific benefits and limitations. The most commonly used model utilizes intracardiac inoculation of tumor cells directly into the arterial blood supply of athymic (nude) BalbC mice. This procedure can be applied to many different tumor types (including PC-3 prostate cancer, lung carcinoma, and mouse mammary fat pad tumors); however, in this manuscript we will focus on the breast cancer model, MDA-MB-231. In this model we utilize a highly bone-selective clone, originally derived in Dr. Mundy's group in San Antonio2, that has since been transfected for GFP expression and re-cloned by our group3. This clone is a bone metastatic variant with a high rate of osteotropism and very little metastasis to lung, liver, or adrenal glands. While intracardiac injections are most commonly used for studies of bone metastasis2, in certain instances intratibial4 or mammary fat pad injections are more appropriate. Intracardiac injections are typically performed when using human tumor cells with the goal of monitoring later stages of metastasis, specifically the ability of cancer cells to arrest in bone, survive, proliferate, and establish tumors that develop into cancer-induced bone disease. Intratibial injections are performed if focusing on the relationship of cancer cells and bone after a tumor has metastasized to bone, which correlates roughly to established metastatic bone disease. Neither of these models recapitulates early steps in the metastatic process prior to embolism and entry of tumor cells into the circulation. If monitoring primary tumor growth or metastasis from the primary site to bone, then mammary fat pad inoculations are usually preferred; however, very few tumor cell lines will consistently metastasize to bone from the primary site, with 4T1 bone-preferential clones, a mouse mammary carcinoma, being the exception 5,6.
This manuscript details inoculation procedures and highlights key steps in post inoculation analyses. Specifically, it includes cell culture, tumor cell inoculation procedures for intracardiac and intratibial inoculations, as well as brief information regarding weekly monitoring by x-ray, fluorescence and histomorphometric analyses.

Animal models are frequently utilized to study cancer metastasis to bone. In this protocol we will describe two common methods of tumor inoculation for bone metastasis studies and briefly describe some of the analyses utilized to monitor and quantify these models.

Bone metastases are a common occurrence in several malignancies, including breast, prostate, and lung. Once established in bone, tumors are responsible ...

Studying Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Orthotopic Breast Cancer Model

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype with limited therapeutic options. When compared to patients with less aggressive breast tumors, the 5-year survival rate of TNBC patients is 77% due to their characteristic drug-resistant phenotype and metastatic burden. Toward this end, murine models have been established aimed at identifying novel therapeutic strategies limiting TNBC tumor growth and metastatic spread. This work describes a practical guide for the TNBC orthotopic model where MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells suspended in a basement membrane matrix are implanted in the fourth mammary fat pad, which closely mimics the cancer cell behavior in humans. Measurement of tumors by caliper, lung metastasis assessment via in vivo and ex vivo imaging, and molecular detection are discussed. This model provides an excellent platform to study therapeutic efficacy and is especially suitable for the study of the interaction between the primary tumor and distal metastatic sites.

This work presets an advanced protocol to accurately assess tumor loading by detection of green fluorescent protein and bioluminescence signals as well as the integration of quantitative molecular detection technique.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype with limited therapeutic options. When compared to patients with less ...

Combined Use of Tail Vein Metastasis Assays and Real-Time In Vivo Imaging to Quantify Breast Cancer Metastatic Colonization and Burden in the Lungs

Metastasis is the main cause of cancer-related deaths and there are limited therapeutic options for patients with metastatic disease. The identification and testing of novel therapeutic targets that will facilitate the development of better treatments for metastatic disease requires preclinical in vivo models. Demonstrated here is a syngeneic mouse model for assaying breast cancer metastatic colonization and subsequent growth. Metastatic cancer cells are stably transduced with viral vectors encoding firefly luciferase and ZsGreen proteins. Candidate genes are then stably manipulated in luciferase/ZsGreen-expressing cancer cells and then the cells are injected into mice via the lateral tail vein to assay metastatic colonization and growth. An in vivo imaging device is then used to measure the bioluminescence or fluorescence of the tumor cells in the living animals to quantify changes in metastatic burden over time. The expression of the fluorescent protein allows the number and size of metastases in the lungs to be quantified at the end of the experiment without the need for sectioning or histological staining. This approach offers a relatively quick and easy way to test the role of candidate genes in metastatic colonization and growth, and provides a great deal more information than traditional tail vein metastasis assays. Using this approach, we show that simultaneous knockdown of Yes associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co-activator with a PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in breast cancer cells leads to reduced metastatic burden in the lungs and that this reduced burden is the result of significantly impaired metastatic colonization and reduced growth of metastases.

The described approach combines experimental tail vein metastasis assays with in vivo live animal imaging to allow real-time monitoring of breast cancer metastasis formation and growth in addition to the quantification of metastasis number and size in the lungs.

Metastasis is the main cause of cancer-related deaths and there are limited therapeutic options for patients with metastatic disease. The identification ...

Modeling Primary Bone Tumors and Bone Metastasis with Solid Tumor Graft Implantation into Bone

Primary bone tumors or bone metastasis from solid tumors result in painful osteolytic, osteoblastic, or mixed osteolytic/osteoblastic lesions. These lesions compromise bone structure, increase the risk of pathologic fracture, and leave patients with limited treatment options. Primary bone tumors metastasize to distant organs, with some types capable of spreading to other skeletal sites. However, recent evidence suggests that with many solid tumors, cancer cells that have spread to bone may be the primary source of cells that ultimately metastasize to other organ systems. Most syngeneic or xenograft mouse models of primary bone tumors involve intra-osseous (orthotopic) injection of tumor cell suspensions. Some animal models of skeletal metastasis from solid tumors also depend on direct bone injection, while others attempt to recapitulate additional steps of the bone metastatic cascade by injecting cells intravascularly or into the organ of the primary tumor. However, none of these models develop bone metastasis reliably or with an incidence of 100%. In addition, direct intra-osseous injection of tumor cells has been shown to be associated with potential tumor embolization of the lung. These embolic tumor cells engraft but do not recapitulate the metastatic cascade. We reported a mouse model of osteosarcoma in which fresh or cryopreserved tumor fragments (consisting of tumor cells plus stroma) are implanted directly into the proximal tibia using a minimally invasive surgical technique. These animals developed reproducible engraftment, growth, and, over time, osteolysis and lung metastasis. This technique has the versatility to be used to model solid tumor bone metastasis and can readily employ grafts consisting of one or multiple cell types, genetically-modified cells, patient-derived xenografts, and/or labeled cells that can be tracked by optical or advanced imaging. Here, we demonstrate this technique, modeling primary bone tumors and bone metastasis using solid tumor graft implantation into bone.

Bone metastasis models do not develop metastasis uniformly or with a 100% incidence. Direct intra-osseous tumor cell injection can result in embolization of the lung. We present our technique modeling primary bone tumors and bone metastasis using solid tumor graft implantation into bone, leading to reproducible engraftment and growth.

Primary bone tumors or bone metastasis from solid tumors result in painful osteolytic, osteoblastic, or mixed osteolytic/osteoblastic lesions. These ...

Monitoring Breast Cancer Growth and Metastatic Colony Formation in Mice using Bioluminescence

Breast cancer is a frequent heterogeneous malignancy and the second leading cause of mortality in women, mainly due to distant organ metastasis. Several animal models have been generated, including the widely used orthotopic mouse models, where cancer cells are injected into the mammary fat pad. However, these models cannot help monitor tumor growth kinetics and metastatic colonization. Cutting-edge tools to monitor cancer cells in real time in mice will significantly advance the understanding of tumor biology. 
Here, breast cancer cell lines stably expressing luciferase and green fluorescent protein (GFP) were established. Specifically, this technique contains two sequential steps initiated by measuring the luciferase activity in vitro and followed by the implantation of the cancer cells into mammary fat pads of nonobese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD-SCID) mice. After the injection, both the tumor growth and metastatic colonization are monitored in real time by the noninvasive bioluminescence imaging system. Then, the quantification of GFP-expressing metastases in the lungs will be examined by fluorescence microscopy to validate the observed bioluminescence results. This sophisticated system combining luciferase and fluorescence-based detection tools evaluates cancer metastasis in vivo, which has great potential for use in breast cancer therapeutics and disease management.

Here, we describe a noninvasive monitoring method involving luciferase and green fluorescent protein expression in various breast cancer cell lines. This protocol provides a technique to monitor tumor formation and metastatic colonization in real time in mice.

Breast cancer is a frequent heterogeneous malignancy and the second leading cause of mortality in women, mainly due to distant organ metastasis. Several ...

In Vivo Imaging to Measure Spontaneous Lung Metastasis of Orthotopically-injected Breast Tumor Cells

Metastasis remains the primary cause of cancer-related death. The succession of events that characterize the metastatic cascade presents multiple opportunities for therapeutic intervention, and the ability to accurately model them in mice is critical to evaluate their effects. Here, a step-by-step protocol is presented for the establishment of orthotopic primary breast tumors and the subsequent monitoring of the establishment and growth of metastatic lesions in the lung using in vivo bioluminescence imaging. This methodology allows for the evaluation of treatment or its biological effects along the entire range of metastatic development, from primary tumor escape to outgrowth in the lungs. Breast orthotopic tumors are generated in mice via injection of a luciferase-labeled cell suspension in the 4th mammary gland. Tumors are allowed to grow and disseminate for a specific amount of time and are then surgically resected. Upon resection, spontaneous lung metastasis is detected, and the growth over time is monitored using in vivo bioluminescence imaging. At the desired experimental endpoint, lung tissue can be collected for downstream analysis. The treatment of established, clinically evident metastasis is critical to improve outcomes for stage IV cancer patients, and it can be evaluated through tail vein models of experimental lung metastasis. However, metastatic dissemination occurs early in breast cancer, and many patients have latent, subclinical disseminated disease after surgery. Utilization of spontaneous models such as this one provides the opportunity to study the whole spectrum of the disease, especially the systemic effects driven by treatment of the primary tumor such as pre-metastatic niche priming, and evaluate treatments on dormant and subclinical disease after surgery.

In Vivo Imaging to Measure Spontaneous Lung Metastasis of Orthotopically-injected Breast Tumor Cells

The manuscript describes a methodology for the establishment as well as longitudinal growth monitoring of spontaneous lung metastasis from orthotopically-injected breast tumors, amenable to intervention at all stages of the metastatic cascade.

Monitoring Tumor Metastases and Osteolytic Lesions with Bioluminescence and Micro CT Imaging

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