title: Non-invasive assessment of the efficacy of new therapeutics for intestinal pathologies using serial endoscopic imaging of live mice.
abstract: Animal models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) have provided significant insight into the cell intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms that contribute to the onset and progression of intestinal diseases. The identification of new molecules that promote these pathologies has led to a flurry of activity focused on the development of potential new therapies to inhibit their function. As a result, various pre-clinical mouse models with an intact immune system and stromal microenvironment are now heavily used. Here we describe three experimental protocols to test the efficacy of new therapeutics in pre-clinical models of (1) acute mucosal damage, (2) chronic colitis and/or colitis-associated colon cancer, and (3) sporadic colorectal cancer. We also outline procedures for serial endoscopic examination that can be used to document the therapeutic response of an individual tumor and to monitor the health of individual mice. These protocols provide complementary experimental platforms to test the effectiveness of therapeutic compounds shown to be well tolerated by mice.
authors: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research; The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne; Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute.
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Ernst
authors: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research.
authors: Adele
authors: A
authors: Preaudet
authors: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research; The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne; putoczki.t@wehi.edu.au.
authors: Tracy
authors: T
authors: Putoczki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003092:Colitis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods