Magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of a novel metastatic orthotopic model of human neuroblastoma in immunodeficient mice

• Published in: Clinical & experimental metastasis 2000-01, Vol.18 (6), p.455-461
• Main Authors: Moats, R, Ma, L Q, Wajed, R, Sugiura, Y, Lazaryev, A, Tyszka, M, Jacobs, R, Fraser, S, Nelson, Jr, M D, DeClerck, Y A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Disease Models, Animal; DNA Primers; Green Fluorescent Proteins; Humans; Luminescent Proteins - genetics; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Mice; Mice, SCID; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neuroblastoma - pathology; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Tumor Cells, Cultured
• ISSN: 0262-0898; 1573-7276
• DOI: 10.1023/a:1011827122126

Neuroblastoma is the second most common solid tumor in children. So far few tumor models for this cancer have been reported in mice. We have created a murine tumor model for studying human neuroblastoma based on surgical orthotopic implantation in scid mice. Small fragments of subcutaneous tumors of SK-N-BE(2) human neuroblastoma cells expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein were surgically implanted near the left adrenal gland of scid mice. One hundred percent of the animals (n = 21) successfully implanted developed a large retroperitoneal tumor and became moribund between 22 and 57 days after implantation (mean survival time = 41 days). At the time of sacrifice the presence of bone marrow metastasis was detected by RT-PCR for green fluorescent protein in 95% of the cases. The growth of small tumor implants could be easily visualized and quantified by surveillance MR imaging, with a resolution of 117 x 117 x 750 microm in two orthogonal planes allowing accurate volume measurements, as well as assessment of necrosis and tissue invasion. This novel model should be a valuable tool to study the biology and therapeutic approaches to neuroblastoma.