title: Characterization of a murine model of metastatic human non-small cell lung cancer and effect of CXCR4 inhibition on the growth of metastases.
abstract: Despite successful preclinical testing carried out through the use of subcutaneous xenografted tumors, many anti-cancer agents have gone on to fail in human trials. One potential factor accounting for this discrepancy may relate to the inadequacy of the commonly employed preclinical models to recapitulate the human disease, particularly when it comes to discovery of agents that are effective against advanced disease. Herein, we report the characterization of a NSCLC model and an exploration of the impact that a CXCR4 inhibitor, AMD3100, had on NCI-H1299-derived metastasis. These cells express a variety of metastasis-promoting factors, hence we selected them for a study of their metastatic colonization potential. To accomplish this, luciferase-expressing H1299 (H1299-luc2) cells were inoculated into athymic mice via the intracardiac route. This strategy produced adrenal, bone, ovarian, and pancreatic metastases, sites commonly involved in human metastatic NSCLC. Notably, micro-computed tomography and histological evaluation of the skeletal lesions revealed the presence of extensive osteolysis. To investigate the potential role of CXCR4 in mediating metastatic colonization of tissues, AMD3100 was administered to mice inoculated with H1299-luc2 cells. While this treatment did not appreciably alter the frequency of metastatic colonization, it was able to slow the growth of macrometastases. This model, recapitulating some of the events seen in late-stage human NSCLC, may prove useful in the evaluation of new therapies targeting metastatic disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Arvind K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Singla
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Charlene M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Downey
authors.affiliation: Tom Baker Cancer Centre, and Department of Oncology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Gwyn D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Bebb
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Frank R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Jirik
keywords: AMD3100; CXCR4; NCI-H1299; NSCLC; metastasis model; preclinical