Establishment of Zebrafish Patient-Derived Xenografts from Pancreatic Cancer for Chemosensitivity Testing

Summary

Preclinical models aim to advance the knowledge of cancer biology and predict treatment efficacy. This paper describes the generation of zebrafish-based patient-derived xenografts (zPDXs) with tumor tissue fragments. The zPDXs were treated with chemotherapy, the therapeutic effect of which was assessed in terms of cell apoptosis of the transplanted tissue.

Abstract

Cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide, and the incidence of many types of cancer continues to increase. Much progress has been made in terms of screening, prevention, and treatment; however, preclinical models that predict the chemosensitivity profile of cancer patients are still lacking. To fill this gap, an in vivo patient-derived xenograft model was developed and validated. The model was based on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos at 2 days post fertilization, which were used as recipients of xenograft fragments of tumor tissue taken from a patient's surgical specimen.

It is also worth noting that bioptic samples were not digested or disaggregated, in order to maintain the tumor microenvironment, which is crucial in terms of analyzing tumor behavior and the response to therapy. The protocol details a method for establishing zebrafish-based patient-derived xenografts (zPDXs) from primary solid tumor surgical resection. After screening by an anatomopathologist, the specimen is dissected using a scalpel blade. Necrotic tissue, vessels, or fatty tissue are removed and then chopped into 0.3 mm x 0.3 mm x 0.3 mm pieces.

The pieces are then fluorescently labeled and xenotransplanted into the perivitelline space of zebrafish embryos. A large number of embryos can be processed at a low cost, enabling high-throughput in vivo analyses of the chemosensitivity of zPDXs to multiple anticancer drugs. Confocal images are routinely acquired to detect and quantify the apoptotic levels induced by chemotherapy treatment compared to the control group. The xenograft procedure has a significant time advantage, since it can be completed in a single day, providing a reasonable time window to carry out a therapeutic screening for co-clinical trials.

Introduction

One of the problems of clinical cancer research is that cancer is not a single disease, but a variety of different diseases that can evolve over time, requiring specific treatments depending on the characteristics of the tumor itself and the patient¹. Consequently, the challenge is to move toward patient-oriented cancer research, in order to identify new personalized strategies for the early prediction of cancer treatment outcomes². This is particularly relevant for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), since it is considered a hard-to-treat cancer, with a 5-year survival rate of 11%³.

Protocol

The Italian Ministry of Public Health approved all the animal experiments described, in conformity with the Directive 2010/63/EU on the use and care of animals. The local Ethical Committee approved the study, under registration number 70213. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved. Before starting, all the solutions and the equipment should be prepared (section 1) and the fish should be crossed (section 2).

1. Preparation of solutions and equipment

Discussion

In vivo models in cancer research provide invaluable tools to understand cancer biology and predict the cancer treatment response. Currently, different in vivo models are available, for example, genetically modified animals (transgenic and knockout mice) or patient-derived xenografts from human primary cells. Despite many optimal features, each one has various limitations. In particular, the aforementioned models lack a reliable way to mimic the patient tumor tissue microenvironment.

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
5-fluorouracil	Teva Pharma AG	SMP 1532755
48 multiwell plate	Sarstedt	83 3923
96 multiwell plate	Sarstedt	82.1581.001
Acetone	Merck	179124
Agarose powder	Merck	A9539
Amphotericin	Thermo Fisher Scientific	15290018
Anti-Nuclei Antibody, clone 235-1	Merck	MAB1281	1:200 dilution
Aquarium net QN6	Penn-plax	0-30172-23006-6
BSA	Merck	A9418
CellTrace	Thermo Fisher Scientific	C34567
CellTracker CM-DiI	Thermo Fisher Scientific	C7001
CellTracker Deep Red	Thermo Fisher Scientific	C34565
Cleaved Caspase-3 (Asp175) (5A1E) Rabbit mAb	Cell Signaling Technology	9661S	1:250 dilution
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)	PanReac AppliChem ITW Reagents	A3672,0250
Dumont #5 forceps	World Precision Instruments	501985
Folinic acid -  Lederfolin	Pfizer
Glass capillaries, 3.5"	Drummond Scientific Company	3-000-203-G/X	Outer diameter = 1.14 mm. Inner diameter = 0.53 mm.
Glass vials	VWR International	WHEAW224581
Goat anti-Rabbit IgG (H+L) Cross-Adsorbed Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 647	Thermo Fisher Scientific	A-21244	1:500 dilution
Goat serum	Thermo Fisher Scientific	31872
Hoechst 33342	Thermo Fisher Scientific	H3570
Irinotecan	Hospira
Low Temperature Freezer Vials	VWR International	479-1220
McIlwain Tissue Chopper	World Precision Instruments
Microplate Mixer	SCILOGEX	822000049999
Oxaliplatin	Teva
Paraformaldehyde	Merck	P6148-500G
PBS	Thermo Fisher Scientific	14190094
Penicillin-streptomycin	Thermo Fisher Scientific	15140122
Petri dish 100 mm	Sarstedt	83 3902500
Petri dish 60 mm	Sarstedt	83 3901
Plastic Pasteur pipette	Sarstedt	86.1171.010
Poly-Mount	Tebu-bio	18606-5
Propidium iodide	Merck	P4170
RPMI-1640 medium	Thermo Fisher Scientific	11875093
Scalpel blade No 10 Sterile Stainless Steel	VWR International	SWAN3001
Scalpel handle #3	World Precision Instruments	500236
Tricaine	Merck	E10521
Triton X-100	Merck	T8787
Tween 20	Merck	P9416
Vertical Micropipette Puller	Shutter instrument	P-30