title: Bioluminescence imaging of angiogenesis in a murine orthotopic pancreatic cancer model.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Eliane
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Angst
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mojadidi
authors.forename: O Joe
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Hines
authors.forename: Howard A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Reber
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eibl
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D008164:Luminescent Proteins