Name: modeling breast cancer via an intraductal injection of cre-expressing adenovirus into the mouse mammary gland
Uploaded: 2019-06-07T13:30:00.000+00:00
Duration: 6 min 29 s
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Modeling Breast Cancer via an Intraductal Injection of Cre-expressing Adenovirus into the Mouse Mammary Gland at JoVE.com

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant R01 CA222560 and by Department of Defense Breakthrough Award W81XWH-18-1-0037.

All methods described here have been approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of Brigham and Women&#8217;s Hospital.
1. Generation and maintenance of floxed mice
<ol>
	<li>Obtain breast cancer-relevant floxed conditional knockout (e.g., Trp53tm1Brn [referred to as Trp53L/L], Brca1tm1Aash [Brca1L/L]) or conditional knock-in mouse lines (e.g., Gt(ROSA)26Sortm1(Pik3ca*H1047R)Egan) from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) or NCI Mouse Models of Human Cancer Consortium (MMHCC) repository. In addition, to facilitate the chasing of MECs that undergo Cre-mediated recombination, a conditional Cre-reporter line can also be obtained from JAX (e.g., Gt(ROSA)26Sortm1(EYFP)Cos [referred to as R26Y]).</li>
	<li>Breed Trp53L/L homozygous mice with R26Y homozygous reporter mice or with homozygous mice carrying the R26Y reporter alleles and any additional floxed conditional knockout or knock-in alleles for different mouse models, to obtain heterozygous F1 male and female progeny.</li>
	<li>Intercross heterozygous F1 male and female mice to obtain F2 compound female mice that are homozygous for each allele (as experimental mice), as well as R26Y-only homozygous females (as control mice). Genotype F2 mice based on the PCR primers and cycling conditions listed below, by setting up two standard 20 &#181;L PCR reactions (using Taq 5X Master Mix) in two different PCR tubes, one with the R26Y primers and the other with the Trp53L primers. Use adult mice (typically around 2&#8211;4 months of age) for all breeding.
	<ol>
		<li>For R26Y, perform PCR at 94 &#176;C for 3 min, then at 94 &#176;C for 30 s, 60 &#176;C for 30 s, and 72 &#176;C for 1 min for 35 cycles, followed by 72 &#176;C for 3 min, and maintaining at 14 &#176;C. Use primers (i) R26YFP-1: AAA GTC GCT CTG AGT TGT TAT; (ii) R26YFP-2: GCG AAG AGT TTG TCC TCA ACC; (iii) R26YFP-3: GGA GCG GGA GAA ATG GAT ATG. 
		NOTE: A single PCR band of 250 bp indicates an R26Y homozygote, a single PCR band of 500 bp indicates a wild-type (WT), and two PCR bands (R26Y: 250 bp, WT: 500 bp) indicate an R26Y heterozygote (Figure 1A). 
		For Trp53L, perform PCR at 94 &#176;C for 3 min, then at 94 &#176;C for 30 s, 60 &#176;C for 30 s, and 72 &#176;C for 1 min for 35 cycles, followed by 72 &#176;C for 3 min, and maintaining at 14 &#176;C. Use primers (i) p53F2-10 1F: CAC AAA AAC AGG TTA AAC CCA G; (ii) p53F2-10 1R: AGC ACA TAG GAG GCA GAG AC. 
		NOTE: A single PCR band of 370 bp indicates a Trp53L/L homozygote, a single PCR band of 288 bp indicates a Trp53+/+ WT, and two PCR bands (WT: 288 bp, Trp53L: 370 bp) indicate a Trp53L/+ heterozygote (Figure 1B).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2. Preoperative preparation
<ol>
	<li>Autoclave all surgical tools 1 day before the surgery.</li>
	<li>Prepare 0.1% bromophenol blue in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and store it at 4 &#176;C. Dilute the Ad-Cre that will be used for the intraductal injection in DMEM medium with 0.01 M CaCl2 and bromophenol blue at a ratio of 1:10 (i.e., the injection mixture). 
	NOTE: The Ad-Cre used here was obtained from the University of Iowa Viral Vector Core, with a stock viral titer of ~1010&#8211;1011 pfu/mL.</li>
	<li>Anesthetize the female mouse (F2 generation as described in step 1.2, age ranging from 3&#8211;4 weeks of age to adult) using an isoflurane chamber and apply eye ointment. During the procedure, anesthetize the mouse continuously by ensuring it inhales 1%&#8211;2.5% isoflurane in oxygen. Check the depth of anesthesia at least every 15 min by performing a toe pinch. Carefully monitor the mouse for any change in respiratory rate, adjusting the level of isoflurane accordingly, if needed.</li>
	<li>Inject meloxicam as analgesia subcutaneously at a dose of 5 mg/kg, prior to the surgical procedure.</li>
	<li>Expose the nipple surgical site by applying several drops of hair removal cream; remove excessive cream and loose hair using soft paper towels. 
	NOTE: Perform this step in an area separate from where the surgery is to be performed. Shaving is not recommended in order to avoid damage to the nipples. Use caution to remove chemical depilatory agent in a timely fashion. Leaving the agent on for too long may result in chemical burn to the skin</li>
	<li>Disinfect the surgical site with iodophors first, followed by 70% alcohol, and end with a final application of scrub iodophors. Do this in a circular motion from the center of the work area toward the periphery using a gauze sponge or cotton-tipped applicator. Repeat the cycle 3x&#8211;4x.</li>
</ol>
3. Intraductal injection
<ol>
	<li>Use aseptic techniques throughout the surgical procedure.</li>
	<li>Make an incision site on the skin at a length of ~1 cm between the two fourth inguinal MGs (Figure 2). Carefully separate the skin flap (with the MG) from the parietal peritoneum so as to visualize the mammary ductal tree.</li>
	<li>Carefully hold the nipple with Watchmaker&#8217;s forceps and remove the exterior nipple without cutting any nearby skin, using a micro-dissection scissor.</li>
	<li>Load ~3&#8211;5 &#181;L of Ad-Cre injection mixture into a 25 &#181;L Hamilton syringe with a 33 G metal hub needle affixed. Estimate the volume of the injection mixture in the syringe based on the blue dye included in the mixture. 
	NOTE: Use a smaller volume (e.g., 3 &#181;L) when injecting into MGs of 3&#8211;4 weeks old females and a larger volume (e.g., 10 &#181;L) when injecting into MGs of lactating females.</li>
	<li>Gently hold the edge of the skin flap with a fine curved tweezer and inject the Ad-Cre injection mixture slowly into the nipple, meanwhile monitoring the spreading of blue dye into the mammary ductal tree. Maintain the injection rate as low as possible to avoid damage to the ductal lumen. 
	NOTE: Injected fluid (as illustrated by the included bromophenol blue dye) spreading throughout the entire ductal tree without leaking into the stromal compartment indicates a successful intraductal injection.</li>
	<li>Gently withdraw the needle from the nipple to avoid any leakage of the injected fluid.</li>
	<li>Examine the distal side (i.e., away from the nipple) of the MG or the surrounding area of the injected nipple. Note that swelling blue dye (i.e., dye diffusing into the nearby stroma) indicates a mammary fat pad injection rather than a successful intraductal injection.</li>
	<li>Close the surgical wounds (from step 3.2) in the skin with wound clips.</li>
</ol>
4. Postoperative care
<ol>
	<li>Remove the mouse from the anesthesia and place it on a heating pad inside a clean cage for recovery.</li>
	<li>Administer meloxicam subcutaneously at 5 mg/kg again, 24 h after the surgery.</li>
	<li>Monitor the general conditions of the animal and look for signs of infection at the incision site for 5 days.</li>
	<li>Wound clips are removed ~7-10 days after surgery.</li>
</ol>
5. Monitoring the development of the mammary tumor
<ol>
	<li>Monitor the injected mice twice weekly by palpation for any sign of mammary tumor development.</li>
	<li>Once the tumor is palpable, monitor the mouse daily and measure the tumor size&#160;until it reaches the experimental endpoint, as determined by the size (e.g., reaching 10%&#8211;15% of the mouse&#8217;s body weight) or condition (e.g., ulcerated or necrotic) of the tumor, or by the general health condition of the mouse (e.g., comatose, moribund).</li>
	<li>Euthanize the mouse by carbon dioxide asphyxiation,&#160;followed by a secondary method (e.g., cervical dislocation).</li>
	<li>Isolate the mammary tumor tissues and analyze them by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, or expression profiling (e.g., by RNA sequencing [RNAseq] or microarray), as described previously12.</li>
	<li>Perform flow cytometric analysis by gating for lineage-negative cells (Lin-: negative for lineage markers CD45 [leukocyte marker], CD31 [endothelial cell marker], and TER119 [erythrocyte marker]), and analyze the cells in the tumor based on their expression of YFP, CD24, and CD29.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Wagner, K. U., 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=Cre-mediated+gene+deletion+in+the+mammary+gland.">Cre-mediated gene deletion in the mammary gland.</a> Nucleic Acids Research. 25 (21), 4323-4330 (1997).</li><li>Selbert, 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=Efficient+BLG-Cre+mediated+gene+deletion+in+the+mammary+gland.">Efficient BLG-Cre mediated gene deletion in the mammary gland.</a> Transgenic Research. 7 (5), 387-396 (1998).</li><li>Jonkers, 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=Synergistic+tumor+suppressor+activity+of+BRCA2+and+p53+in+a+conditional+mouse+model+for+breast+cancer.">Synergistic tumor suppressor activity of BRCA2 and p53 in a conditional mouse model for breast cancer.</a> Nature Genetics. 29 (4), 418-425 (2001).</li><li>van Bragt, M. P., Hu, X., Xie, Y., Li, Z. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=RUNX1,+a+transcription+factor+mutated+in+breast+cancer,+controls+the+fate+of+ER-positive+mammary+luminal+cells.">RUNX1, a transcription factor mutated in breast cancer, controls the fate of ER-positive mammary luminal cells.</a> eLife. 3, e03881 (2014).</li><li>Tao, L., van Bragt, M. P., Li, Z. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Long-Lived+Luminal+Subpopulation+Enriched+with+Alveolar+Progenitors+Serves+as+Cellular+Origin+of+Heterogeneous+Mammary+Tumors.">A Long-Lived Luminal Subpopulation Enriched with Alveolar Progenitors Serves as Cellular Origin of Heterogeneous Mammary Tumors.</a> Stem Cell Reports. 5 (1), 60-74 (2015).</li><li>Xu, 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=Conditional+mutation+of+Brca1+in+mammary+epithelial+cells+results+in+blunted+ductal+morphogenesis+and+tumour+formation.">Conditional mutation of Brca1 in mammary epithelial cells results in blunted ductal morphogenesis and tumour formation.</a> Nature Genetics. 22 (1), 37-43 (1999).</li><li>Li, 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=ETV6-NTRK3+fusion+oncogene+initiates+breast+cancer+from+committed+mammary+progenitors+via+activation+of+AP1+complex.">ETV6-NTRK3 fusion oncogene initiates breast cancer from committed mammary progenitors via activation of AP1 complex.</a> Cancer Cell. 12 (6), 542-558 (2007).</li><li>Liu, 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=Somatic+loss+of+BRCA1+and+p53+in+mice+induces+mammary+tumors+with+features+of+human+BRCA1-mutated+basal-like+breast+cancer.">Somatic loss of BRCA1 and p53 in mice induces mammary tumors with features of human BRCA1-mutated basal-like breast cancer.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 104 (29), 12111-12116 (2007).</li><li>Molyneux, G., 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=BRCA1+basal-like+breast+cancers+originate+from+luminal+epithelial+progenitors+and+not+from+basal+stem+cells.">BRCA1 basal-like breast cancers originate from luminal epithelial progenitors and not from basal stem cells.</a> Cell Stem Cell. 7 (3), 403-417 (2010).</li><li>Koren, 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=PIK3CA+induces+multipotency+and+multi-lineage+mammary+tumours.">PIK3CA induces multipotency and multi-lineage mammary tumours.</a> Nature. 525 (7567), 114-118 (2015).</li><li>Van Keymeulen, A., 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=Reactivation+of+multipotency+by+oncogenic+PIK3CA+induces+breast+tumour+heterogeneity.">Reactivation of multipotency by oncogenic PIK3CA induces breast tumour heterogeneity.</a> Nature. 525 (7567), 119-123 (2015).</li><li>Tao, L., Xiang, D., Xie, Y., Bronson, R. T., Li, Z. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Induced+p53+loss+in+mouse+luminal+cells+causes+clonal+expansion+and+development+of+mammary+tumours.">Induced p53 loss in mouse luminal cells causes clonal expansion and development of mammary tumours.</a> Nature Communications. 8, 14431 (2017).</li><li>Tao, L., van Bragt, M. P. A., Laudadio, E., Li, Z. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Lineage+Tracing+of+Mammary+Epithelial+Cells+Using+Cell-Type-Specific+Cre-Expressing+Adenoviruses.">Lineage Tracing of Mammary Epithelial Cells Using Cell-Type-Specific Cre-Expressing Adenoviruses.</a> Stem Cell Reports. 2 (6), 770-779 (2014).</li><li>Sutherland, K. 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=Cell+of+origin+of+small+cell+lung+cancer:+inactivation+of+Trp53+and+Rb1+in+distinct+cell+types+of+adult+mouse+lung.">Cell of origin of small cell lung cancer: inactivation of Trp53 and Rb1 in distinct cell types of adult mouse lung.</a> Cancer Cell. 19 (6), 754-764 (2011).</li><li>Shackleton, 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=Generation+of+a+functional+mammary+gland+from+a+single+stem+cell.">Generation of a functional mammary gland from a single stem cell.</a> Nature. 439 (7072), 84-88 (2006).</li><li>The Cancer Genome Atlas Network. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comprehensive+molecular+portraits+of+human+breast+tumours.">Comprehensive molecular portraits of human breast tumours.</a> Nature. 490 (7418), 61-70 (2012).</li><li>Nik-Zainal, 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=The+life+history+of+21+breast+cancers.">The life history of 21 breast cancers.</a> Cell. 149 (5), 994-1007 (2012).</li><li>Abba, 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=A+Molecular+Portrait+of+High-Grade+Ductal+Carcinoma+In+Situ.">A Molecular Portrait of High-Grade Ductal Carcinoma In Situ.</a> Cancer Research. 75 (18), 3980-3990 (2015).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

The success of this approach for inducing mammary tumors from different subpopulations of MECs relies not only on choosing appropriate cell-type-specific promoters (to drive Cre expression) but also on the intraductal injection procedure itself. The idea behind this approach is that the injected Ad-Cre viruses are retained in the ductal tree, which is a concealed structure with lumen, and therefore, only MECs are exposed to the viruses and are infected by Ad-Cre. Due to the limited lumen space within the mammary ducts, i...

The overall goal of this method is to develop a new breast cancer modeling approach based on an intraductal injection of Ad-Cre into the mouse MG. The Cre/loxP recombination-based genetic approach has been widely used to model human breast cancer in mice. The first generation of Cre/loxP-based breast cancer mouse models are generated by using Cre-expressing transgenic mice under the control of MEC-specific promoters (e.g., MMTV-Cre for luminal MECs and a portion of basal MECs, Wap-Cre and Blg-Cre for luminal progenitors and alveolar luminal MECs, K14-Cre for basal and a portion of luminal MECs1,2,3,4,5)6,7,8,9. However, while these Cre transgenic lines enable spatial control of Cre expression (i.e., in different subsets of MECs), they do not allow temporal control of Cre expression and Cre/loxP-mediated genetic manipulation. The second generation of Cre/loxP-based breast cancer mouse models utilize inducible Cre activity/expression approaches (e.g., use of Cre-estrogen receptor fusion [CreER], which can only induce Cre/loxP recombination upon administration of tamoxifen), and as a result, these genetic tools permit both spatial and temporal controls of the activation of oncogenic events in MECs (e.g., K8-CreER- and K5-CreER-based models)10,11,12. In both generations of breast cancer mouse models, as promoters used to drive Cre or CreER expression (e.g., Krt8, Krt5) may also be active in epithelial cells of other organs (i.e., they are cell-type-specific but not organ-specific) or have a leaky expression in cell types other than epithelial cells (e.g., MMTV, which has leaky activity in bone marrow hematopoietic cells), these approaches may lead to the development of unwanted cancer(s) in other organ(s). If these unexpected cancers cause lethality in the affected mice, the original purpose of modeling breast cancer in these mice may be prohibited (e.g., MMTV-Cre-driven oncogenic events may lead to hematopoietic malignancies and early death of the mice, due to leakiness of the MMTV promoter in hematopoietic cells)4.
Here we report a breast cancer modeling approach in mice that allows both cell-type- and organ-specific manipulation of oncogenic events in a temporally controlled manner. This approach is based on an intraductal injection of Ad-Cre into mouse MGs (and is, thus, organ-specific). Cre expression can be controlled by using different MEC subpopulation-specific promoters embedded in the adenoviral vector (e.g., Krt8 for luminal MECs, Krt5 for basal MECs, thus achieving cell-type specificity). Cancer induction in MGs can be temporally controlled by an injection of Ad-Cre into mice at different ages, starting from 3-4 weeks of age (pubertal) to the adult stage.

<table><tbody><tr><td>33-gauge needle</td><td>Hamilton</td><td>7803-05</td><td>point style 3 blunt</td></tr><tr><td>7mm Reflex Clip</td><td>Braintree Scientific</td><td>RF7 CS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Adenovirus, Ad-K5-Cre</td><td>University of Iowa Viral Vector Core</td><td>Ad5-bk5-Cre (VVC-Berns-1547)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Adenovirus, Ad-K8-Cre</td><td>University of Iowa Viral Vector Core</td><td>Ad5mK8-nlsCre</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Alcohol</td><td>Fisher</td><td>HC800-1GAL</td><td>Prepare to 70% in use</td></tr><tr><td>biotinylated CD31</td><td>eBiosciences</td><td>13-0311-85</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>biotinylated CD45</td><td>eBiosciences</td><td>13-0451-85</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>biotinylated TER119</td><td>eBiosciences</td><td>13-5921-85</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bromophenol Blue</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>B0126-25G</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>CD24-AF-700</td><td>BD Pharmingen</td><td>564237</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>CD24-PE</td><td>eBiosciences</td><td>12-0242-83</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>CD29-APC</td><td>eBiosciences</td><td>17-0291-82</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>CD29-PE</td><td>eBiosciences</td><td>12-0291-82</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hair Remover Lotion</td><td>Nair</td><td></td><td>9 Oz</td></tr><tr><td>Hamilton syringe</td><td>Hamilton</td><td>7636-01</td><td>0.025 mL</td></tr><tr><td>Iodophors</td><td>Betadine</td><td></td><td>10% Povidone-iodine</td></tr><tr><td>Isoflurane</td><td>Baxter</td><td>NDC 10019-360-40</td><td>1-2.5%</td></tr><tr><td>Loxicam</td><td>Norbrook</td><td>NDC 55529-040-10</td><td>5 mg/ml</td></tr><tr><td>Lubricant Eye Ointment</td><td>Akorn</td><td>NDC 17478-062-35</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Micro-dissecting scissors</td><td>Pentair</td><td>9M</td><td>Watchmaker&#039;s Forceps</td></tr><tr><td>Micro-dissecting tweezers</td><td>Dumont</td><td>M5</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Taq 5X Master Mix</td><td>New England Biolabs</td><td>M0285L</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

modeling breast cancer via an intraductal injection of cre-expressing adenovirus into the mouse mammary gland

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, possibly due to complex interactions between different cells of origins and oncogenic events. Mouse models are instrumental in gaining insights into these complex processes. Although many mouse models have been developed to study contributions of various oncogenic events and cells of origin to breast tumorigenesis, these models are often not cell-type or organ specific or cannot induce the initiation of mammary tumorigenesis in a temporally controlled manner. Here we describe a protocol to generate a new type of breast cancer mouse models based on the intraductal injection of Cre-expressing adenovirus (Ad-Cre) into mouse mammary glands (MGs). Due to the direct injection of Ad-Cre into mammary ducts, this approach is MG specific, without any unwanted cancer induction in other organs. The intraductal injection procedure can be performed in mice at different stages of their MG development (thus, it permits temporal control of cancer induction, starting from ~3-4 weeks of age). The cell-type specificity can be achieved by using different cell-type-specific promoters to drive Cre expression in the adenoviral vector. We show that luminal and basal mammary epithelial cells (MECs) can be tightly targeted for Cre/loxP-based genetic manipulation via an intraductal injection of Ad-Cre under the control of the Keratin 8 or Keratin 5 promoter, respectively. By incorporating a conditional Cre reporter (e.g., Cre/loxP-inducible Rosa26-YFP reporter), we show that MECs targeted by Ad-Cre, and tumor cells derived from them, can be traced by following the reporter-positive cells after intraductal injection.

Representative PCR genotyping results for the R26Y and Trp53L alleles are shown in Figure 1.
Although, in principle, all 10 MGs can be subjected to the intraductal injection procedure, practically, the two fourth inguinal MGs are typically selected for injection, due to their easier accessibility and larger MG sizes (Figure 2). During the su...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Modeling Breast Cancer via an Intraductal Injection of Cre-expressing Adenovirus into the Mouse Mammary Gland at JoVE.com

Modeling Breast Cancer via an Intraductal Injection of Cre-expressing Adenovirus into the Mouse Mammary Gland

The goal of this protocol is to describe a new breast cancer modeling approach based on the intraductal injection of Cre-expressing adenovirus into mouse mammary glands. This approach allows both cell-type- and organ-specific manipulation of oncogenic events in a temporally controlled manner.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, possibly due to complex interactions between different cells of origins and oncogenic events. Mouse models are ...

modeling-breast-cancer-via-an-intraductal-injection-cre-expressing

Research

JoVE Journal

Cancer Research

12.6K Views.  Brigham and Women's Hospital. The goal of this protocol is to describe a new breast cancer modeling approach based on the intraductal injection of Cre-expressing adenovirus into mouse mammary glands. This approach allows both cell-type- and organ-specific manipulation of oncogenic events in a temporally controlled manner.

Video: Modeling Breast Cancer via an Intraductal Injection of Cre-expressing Adenovirus into the Mouse Mammary Gland

Orthotopic Injection of Breast Cancer Cells into the Mice Mammary Fat Pad

A proper animal model is crucial for a better understanding of diseases. Animal models established by different methods (subcutaneous injections, xenografts, genetic manipulation, chemical reagents induction, etc.) have various pathological characters and play important roles in investigating certain aspects of diseases. Although no single model can totally mimic the whole human disease progression, orthotopic organs disease models with a proper stromal environment play an irreplaceable role in understanding diseases and screening for potential drugs. In this article, we describe how to implant breast cancer cells into the mammary fat pad in a simple, less invasive, and easy-to-handle way, and follow the metastasis to distant organs. With the proper features of primary tumor growth, breast and nipple pathological changes, and a high occurrence of other organs&#39; metastasis, this model maximumly mimics human breast cancer progression. Primary tumor growth in situ, long-distant metastasis, and the tumor microenvironment of breast cancer can be investigated by using this model.

Here, we present a protocol to implant breast cancer cells into the mammary fat pad in a simple, less invasive, and easy-to-handle way, and this mouse orthotopic breast cancer model with a proper mammary fat pad environment can be used to investigate various aspects of cancer.

A proper animal model is crucial for a better understanding of diseases. Animal models established by different methods (subcutaneous injections, ...

Orthotopic Transplantation of Breast Tumors as Preclinical Models for Breast Cancer

Preclinical models that faithfully recapitulate tumor heterogeneity and therapeutic response are critical for translational breast cancer research. Immortalized cell lines are easy to grow and genetically modify to study molecular mechanisms, yet the selective pressure from cell culture often leads to genetic and epigenetic alterations over time. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models faithfully recapitulate the heterogeneity and drug response of human breast tumors. PDX models exhibit a relatively short latency after orthotopic transplantation that facilitates the investigation of breast tumor biology and drug response. The transplantable genetically engineered mouse models allow the study of breast tumor immunity. The current protocol describes the method to orthotopically transplant breast tumor fragments into the mammary fat pad followed by drug treatments. These preclinical models provide valuable approaches to investigate breast tumor biology, drug response, biomarker discovery and mechanisms of drug resistance.

Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and transplantable genetically engineered mouse models faithfully recapitulate human disease and are preferred models for basic and translational breast cancer research. Here, a method is described to orthotopically transplant breast tumor fragments into the mammary fat pad to study tumor biology and evaluate drug response.

Preclinical models that faithfully recapitulate tumor heterogeneity and therapeutic response are critical for translational breast cancer research. ...

Modeling Brain Metastasis Via Tail-Vein Injection of Inflammatory Breast Cancer Cells

Metastatic spread to the brain is a common and devastating manifestation of many types of cancer. In the United States alone, about 200,000 patients are diagnosed with brain metastases each year. Significant progress has been made in improving survival outcomes for patients with primary breast cancer and systemic malignancies; however, the dismal prognosis for patients with clinical brain metastases highlights the urgent need to develop novel therapeutic agents and strategies against this deadly disease. The lack of suitable experimental models has been one of the major hurdles impeding advancement of our understanding of brain metastasis biology and treatment. Herein, we describe a xenograft mouse model of brain metastasis generated via tail-vein injection of an endogenously HER2-amplified cell line derived from inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. Cells were labeled with firefly luciferase and green fluorescence protein to monitor brain metastasis, and quantified metastatic burden by bioluminescence imaging, fluorescent stereomicroscopy, and histologic evaluation. Mice robustly and consistently develop brain metastases, allowing investigation of key mediators in the metastatic process and the development of preclinical testing of new treatment strategies.

We describe a xenograft mouse model of breast cancer brain metastasis generated via tail-vein injection of an endogenously HER2-amplified inflammatory breast cancer cell line.

Metastatic spread to the brain is a common and devastating manifestation of many types of cancer. In the United States alone, about 200,000 patients are ...

Intraductal Delivery and X-ray Visualization of Ethanol-Based Ablative Solution for Prevention and Local Treatment of Breast Cancer in Mouse Models

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer-related death for women in the USA. For high-risk women, prophylactic mastectomy is the most effective primary prevention strategy. Prophylactic mastectomy is an aggressive surgical procedure that completely removes the mammary epithelial cells from which breast cancer arises along with the surrounding tissue. We seek to develop a minimally invasive intraductal procedure as an alternative to prophylactic mastectomy to locally ablate the mammary epithelial cells before they can become malignant. We and others have developed an intraductal delivery procedure to reach and treat these epithelial cells in rodent models of breast cancer. While the mouse mammary gland with a single non-anastomosed ductal tree opening at the nipple has a much less complex and tortuous architecture than the human breast, chemically induced and genetically engineered mouse models of breast cancer are valuable to produce proof-of-concept studies of new preventative strategies. Here, we describe a procedure for intraductal delivery of an ethanol-based ablative solution containing micro-CT/X-ray tantalum-based contrast agent within the mouse mammary ductal tree for the therapeutic purpose of primary prevention of breast cancer. Intraductal delivery of aqueous reagents (e.g., cytotoxic compounds, siRNAs, AdCre) has been previously described in mouse models. Thus, we focus our protocol description on methodological modifications and unique experimental considerations for optimizing delivery of ethanol, for minimizing local and systemic side effects of ethanol administration, and for in vivo visualization of ductal tree filling via micro-CT/fluoroscopy imaging. Visualization of the ductal tree immediately after injection of a contrast-containing solution allows for confirmation of complete filling or unsuccessful outcomes such as underfilling or overfilling. This procedure can be applied for delivery and imaging of other ablative compounds aimed at either preventing tumor formation or locally treating early-stage tumors accessible via the ductal tree.

A method of intraductal injection of reagents for an ethanol-based ablative solution to the mouse mammary ductal tree for in vivo imaging and breast cancer prevention is described. Injection directly into the nipple opening allows for targeting mammary epithelial cells with minimal collateral tissue damage.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer-related death for women in the USA. For high-risk women, prophylactic ...

Initiation of Metastatic Breast Carcinoma by Targeting of the Ductal Epithelium with Adenovirus-Cre: A Novel Transgenic Mouse Model of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease involving complex cellular interactions between the developing tumor and immune system, eventually resulting in exponential tumor growth and metastasis to distal tissues and the collapse of anti-tumor immunity. Many useful animal models exist to study breast cancer, but none completely recapitulate the disease progression that occurs in humans. In order to gain a better understanding of the cellular interactions that result in the formation of latent metastasis and decreased survival, we have generated an inducible transgenic mouse model of YFP-expressing ductal carcinoma that develops after sexual maturity in immune-competent mice and is driven by consistent, endocrine-independent oncogene expression. Activation of YFP, ablation of p53, and expression of an oncogenic form of K-ras was achieved by the delivery of an adenovirus expressing Cre-recombinase into the mammary duct of sexually mature, virgin female mice. Tumors begin to appear 6 weeks after the initiation of oncogenic events. After tumors become apparent, they progress slowly for approximately two weeks before they begin to grow exponentially. After 7-8 weeks post-adenovirus injection, vasculature is observed connecting the tumor mass to distal lymph nodes, with eventual lymphovascular invasion of YFP+ tumor cells to the distal axillary lymph nodes. Infiltrating leukocyte populations are similar to those found in human breast carcinomas, including the presence of &#945;&#946; and &#947;&#948; T cells, macrophages and MDSCs. This unique model will facilitate the study of cellular and immunological mechanisms involved in latent metastasis and dormancy in addition to being useful for designing novel immunotherapeutic interventions to treat invasive breast cancer.

Activation of latent mutations with adenovirus-Cre into the mammary ductal system results in a clinically relevant metastatic breast cancer. Incorporation of a YFP promoter allows tracking of distal metastatic tumor cells. This model is useful to study latent metastasis, anti-tumor immunity, and for designing novel immunotherapies to treat breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease involving complex cellular interactions between the developing tumor and immune system, eventually resulting in ...

Medicine

X-Ray Visualization of Intraductal Ethanol-Based Ablative Treatment for Prevention of Breast Cancer in Rat Models

There are still a limited number of primary interventions for prevention of breast cancer. For women at a high risk of developing breast cancer, the most effective intervention is prophylactic mastectomy. This is a drastic surgical procedure in which the mammary epithelial cells that can give rise to breast cancer are completely removed along with the surrounding tissue. The goal of this protocol is to demonstrate the feasibility of a minimally invasive intraductal procedure that could become a new primary intervention for breast cancer prevention. This local procedure would preferentially ablate mammary epithelial cells before they can become malignant. Intraductal methods to deliver solutions directly to these epithelial cells in rodent models of breast cancer have been developed at Michigan State University and elsewhere. The rat mammary gland consists of a single ductal tree that has a simpler and more linear architecture compared to the human breast. However, chemically induced rat models of breast cancer offer valuable tools for proof-of-concept studies of new preventive interventions and scalability from mouse models to humans. Here, a procedure for intraductal delivery of an ethanol-based ablative solution containing tantalum oxide nanoparticles as X-ray contrast agent and ethyl cellulose as gelling agent into the rat mammary ductal tree is described. Delivery of aqueous reagents (e.g., cytotoxic compounds, siRNAs, AdCre) by intraductal injection has been described previously in mouse and rat models. This protocol description emphasizes methodological changes and steps that pertain uniquely to delivering an ablative solution, formulation consideration to minimize local and systemic side effects of the ablative solution, and X-ray imaging for in vivo assessment of ductal tree filling. Fluoroscopy and micro-CT techniques enable to determine the success of ablative solution delivery and the extent of ductal tree filling thanks to compatibility with the tantalum-containing contrast agent.

A procedure for the delivery of a chemical ablative solution to the rat mammary ductal tree for image-guided preventive treatment of breast cancer is described. Mammary epithelial cells can be targeted with minimal collateral tissue damage through cannulation directly into the nipple opening and intraductal infusion of a 70% ethanol-based ablative solution.

There are still a limited number of primary interventions for prevention of breast cancer. For women at a high risk of developing breast cancer, the most ...

In Vivo Gene Delivery into Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells Through Mammary Intraductal Injection

Mouse mammary glands comprise ductal trees, which are lined by epithelial cells and have one opening at the tip of each nipple. The epithelial cells play a major role in mammary gland function and are the origin of most mammary tumors. Introducing genes of interest into mouse mammary epithelial cells is a critical step in evaluating gene function in epithelial cells and generating mouse mammary tumor models. This goal can be accomplished through the intraductal injection of a viral vector carrying the genes of interest into the mouse mammary ductal tree. The injected virus subsequently infects mammary epithelial cells, bringing in the genes of interest. The viral vector can be lentiviral, retroviral, adenoviral, or adenovirus-associated viral (AAV). This study demonstrates how a gene of interest is delivered into mammary epithelial cells through mouse mammary intraductal injection of a viral vector. A lentivirus carrying GFP is used to show stable expression of a delivered gene, and a retrovirus carrying Erbb2 (HER2/Neu) is used to demonstrate oncogene-induced atypical hyperplastic lesions and mammary tumors.

In Vivo Gene Delivery into Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells Through Mammary Intraductal Injection

The present protocol describes intraductal injection of viral vectors via the teat to deliver genes of interest into the mammary epithelial cells.

Mouse mammary glands comprise ductal trees, which are lined by epithelial cells and have one opening at the tip of each nipple. The epithelial cells play ...

Orthotopic Injection of Breast Cancer Cells into the Mammary Fat Pad of Mice to Study Tumor Growth.

Breast cancer growth can be studied in mice using a plethora of models. Genetic manipulation of breast cancer cells may provide insights into the functions of proteins involved in oncogenic progression or help to discover new tumor suppressors. In addition, injecting cancer cells into mice with different genotypes might provide a better understanding of the importance of the stromal compartment. Many models may be useful to investigate certain aspects of disease progression but do not recapitulate the entire cancerous process. In contrast, breast cancer cells engraftment to the mammary fat pad of mice better recapitulates the location of the disease and presence of the proper stromal compartment and therefore better mimics human cancerous disease. In this article, we describe how to implant breast cancer cells into mice orthotopically and explain how to collect tissues to analyse the tumor milieu and metastasis to distant organs. Using this model, many aspects (growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis) of cancer can be investigated simply by providing a proper environment for tumor cells to grow.

Cancer is a complex disease that is influenced by the tissue surrounding the tumor as well as local pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators. Therefore, orthotropic injection models, rather than subcutaneous models may be useful to study cancer progression in a manner that better mimics human pathology.

Breast cancer growth can be studied in mice using a plethora of models. Genetic manipulation of breast cancer cells may provide insights into the ...

Intraductal Injection for Localized Drug Delivery to the Mouse Mammary Gland

Herein we describe a protocol to deliver various reagents to the mouse mammary gland via intraductal injections. Localized drug delivery and knock-down of genes within the mammary epithelium has been difficult to achieve due to the lack of appropriate targeting molecules that are independent of developmental stages such as pregnancy and lactation. Herein, we describe a technique for localized delivery of reagents to the mammary gland at any stage in adulthood via intraductal injection into the nipples of mice. The injections can be performed on live mice, under anesthesia, and allow for a non-invasive and localized drug delivery to the mammary gland. Furthermore, the injections can be repeated over several months without damaging the nipple. Vital dyes such as Evans Blue are very helpful to learn the technique. Upon intraductal injection of the blue dye, the entire ductal tree becomes visible to the eye. Furthermore, fluorescently labeled reagents also allow for visualization and distribution within the mammary gland. This technique is adaptable for a variety of compounds including siRNA, chemotherapeutic agents, and small molecules.

A protocol for the non-invasive intraductal delivery of aqueous reagents to the mouse mammary gland is described. The method takes advantage of localized injection into the nipples of mammary glands targeting mammary ducts specifically. This technique is adaptable for a variety of compounds including siRNA, chemotherapeutic agents and small molecules.

Herein we describe a protocol to deliver various reagents to the mouse mammary gland via intraductal injections. Localized drug delivery and knock-down of ...

Biology

Orthotopic Injection into the Mammary Fat Pad:  Establishing Breast Cancer in Mice

Source: Zhang, G. L., et al. <a href="https://www.jove.com/video/58604/orthotopic-injection-breast-cancer-cells-into-mice-mammary-fat?access=v2wuhgcg">Orthotopic Injection of Breast Cancer Cells into the Mice Mammary Fat Pad.</a>&#160;J. Vis. Exp. (2019).
In this article we discuss how to establish a breast cancer model in female mice by injecting breast cancer cells into the mammary fat pad. The example protocol demonstrates the orthotopic injection.

Source: Zhang, G. L., et al. Orthotopic Injection of Breast Cancer Cells into the Mice Mammary Fat Pad.&#160;J. Vis. Exp. (2019).
In this article we ...

Modeling Breast Cancer via an Intraductal Injection of Cre-expressing Adenovirus into the Mouse Mammary Gland

Summary

Explore More Videos

Chapters in this video

Orthotopic Injection of Breast Cancer Cells into the Mice Mammary Fat Pad

Orthotopic Transplantation of Breast Tumors as Preclinical Models for Breast Cancer

Modeling Brain Metastasis Via Tail-Vein Injection of Inflammatory Breast Cancer Cells

Intraductal Delivery and X-ray Visualization of Ethanol-Based Ablative Solution for Prevention and Local Treatment of Breast Cancer in Mouse Models

Initiation of Metastatic Breast Carcinoma by Targeting of the Ductal Epithelium with Adenovirus-Cre: A Novel Transgenic Mouse Model of Breast Cancer

X-Ray Visualization of Intraductal Ethanol-Based Ablative Treatment for Prevention of Breast Cancer in Rat Models

In Vivo Gene Delivery into Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells Through Mammary Intraductal Injection

Orthotopic Injection of Breast Cancer Cells into the Mammary Fat Pad of Mice to Study Tumor Growth.

Intraductal Injection for Localized Drug Delivery to the Mouse Mammary Gland

Orthotopic Injection into the Mammary Fat Pad: Establishing Breast Cancer in Mice