Bioluminescence imaging of angiogenesis in a murine orthotopic pancreatic cancer model.
OBJECTIVE
Angiogenesis is essential for physiological processes as well as for carcinogenesis. New approaches to cancer therapy include targeting angiogenesis. One target is VEGF-A and its receptor VEGFR2. In this study, we sought to investigate pancreatic cancer angiogenesis in a genetically modified VEGFR2-luc-KI mouse.


METHODS
Live in vivo bioluminescence imaging of angiogenesis was performed continuously until sacrifice in subcutaneous tumors as well as in orthotopically transplanted tumors. Tumor tissue was immunostained for CD-31 and VEGFR2.


RESULTS
Peritumoral angiogenesis measured by light emission was detected beginning at week 3 following subcutaneous injection. In the orthotopic model, light emission began at day 4, which likely corresponds to wound healing, and continued throughout the experimental period during tumor growth. Peritumoral CD-31 vessel- and VEGFR2-staining were positive.


CONCLUSIONS
The VEGFR2-luc-KI mouse is a valuable tool to demonstrate tumor angiogenesis and seems to be suitable to evaluate anti-angiogenic approaches in pancreatic cancer.
Angst
Eliane
E
Hirshberg Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Department of Surgery, UCLA Center for Excellence in Pancreatic Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, 675 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. eliane.angst@gmail.com
Chen
Monica
M
Mojadidi
Michelle
M
Hines
O Joe
OJ
Reber
Howard A
HA
Eibl
Guido
G
D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D016042:Transplantation, Heterotopic
D008164:Luminescent Proteins