[Establishing a new human neuroblastoma animal model for development of adjuvant therapy methods and for study of metastasis].
We developed a human neuroblastoma animal model in nude rats, which shows high analogy to clinical stage IV disease. 10(7) LAN-1 human neuroblastoma cells were injected in the aorta of nude rats (rnu/rnu). After 5 weeks 6/6 rats developed invasive tumors in the adrenal gland (0.5-3 cm). Micrometastases (1-2 mm) were found in the liver (3 of 6 rats) and the femur (4 of 6 rats). This observation corresponds to the typical clinical finding of advanced neuroblastoma in the adrenal gland and small diffuse liver/bone metastases. A proliferation index of 80% was found in adrenal gland tumors and micrometastases. However, the number of apoptotic cells was different (5% and 50%, respectively). This animal model in nude rats can be used to evaluate the potential of new immunotherapeutic concepts with cytotoxic antibodies and to study the development of metastases.
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D051381:Rats; D011923:Rats, Nude; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000473:pathology*