title: Growth of benign and malignant schwannoma xenografts in severe combined immunodeficiency mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Models for the development of new treatment options in vestibular schwannoma (VS) treatment are lacking. The purpose of this study is to establish a quantifiable human VS xenograft model in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Both rat malignant schwannoma cells (KE-F11 and RT4) and human malignant schwannoma (HMS-97) cells were implanted near the sciatic nerve in the thigh of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. Additionally, human benign VS specimens were implanted in another set of SCID mice. Three-dimensional tumor volumes were calculated from magnetic resonance images over the next 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mice implanted with malignant schwannoma cells developed visible tumors within 2 weeks. Imaging using a 4.7-tesla magnetic resonance imaging and immunohistopathologic examination identified solid tumors in all KE-F11 and HMS-97 xenografts, whereas RT4 xenografts consistently developed cystic schwannomas. VS xenografts demonstrated variability in their growth rates similar to human VS. The majority of VS xenografts did not grow but persisted throughout the study, whereas two of 15 xenografts grew significantly. Histopathologic examination and immunohistochemistry confirmed that VS xenografts retained their original microscopic and immunohistochemical characteristics after prolonged implantation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study describes the first animal model for cystic schwannomas. Also, we demonstrate the use of high-field magnetic resonance imaging to quantify VS xenograft growth over time. The VS xenografts represent a model complimentary to Nf2 transgenic and knockout mice for translational VS research.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43205, USA. lchang@chi.osu.edu
authors.forename: Long-Sheng
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorenz
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rock
authors.forename: Elena M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Akhmametyeva
authors.forename: Georgeta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mihai
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schmalbrock
authors.forename: Abhik R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Chaudhury
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Jyoji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamate
authors.forename: Markus R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: Hannes
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wickert
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Neff
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dodson
authors.forename: D Bradley
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Welling
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000473:pathology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous