Head and neck cancer is the seventh common cancer in the world, and various existing treatment strategies provide modest benefit for most patients with head and neck cancer. Meanwhile, therapeutic strategies lacking molecular typing significantly hinder the development of individualized treatment for head and neck cancer. In recent years, connected by preclinical models, the novel ideal has gradually reached a consensus in terms of facilitating inter-transformation of clinical problems and basic achievements. As a bridge between basic research and clinical transformation, patient-derived xenografts (PDX) models precisely replicate genetic characteristics and tumor evolution, which are displaying great vitality in elucidating the mechanism of tumorigenesis and progression. Moreover, cohorts composed of several PDX models highlight the unique advantages of mice for drug screening and biomarker analysis for patients. This ideal preclinical model explores potential treatment strategies suited the ethical standards as much as possible for patients.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Heterografts ; Humans ; Mice ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictability of pretreatment values including Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) derived parameters (Ktrans, Kep and Ve), early changes in parameters (Ktrans, tumor volume), and heterogeneity (standard deviation of Ktrans) for radiation therapy responses via a human colorectal cancer xenograft model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A human colorectal cancer xenograft model with DLD-1 cancer cells was produced in the right hind limbs of five mice. Tumors were irradiated with 3 fractions of 3 Gy each for 3 weeks. Baseline and follow up DCE-MRI were performed. Quantitative parameters (Ktrans, Kep and Ve) were calculated based on the Tofts model. Early changes in Ktrans, standard deviation (SD) of Ktrans, and tumor volume were also calculated. Tumor responses were evaluated based on histology. With a cut-off value of 0.4 for necrotic factor, a comparison between good and poor responses was conducted. RESULTS: The good response group (mice #1 and 2) exhibited higher pretreatment Ktrans than the poor response group (mice #3, 4, and 5). The good response group tended to show lower pretreatment Kep, higher pretreatment Ve, and larger baseline tumor volume than the poor response group. All the mice in the good response group demonstrated marked reductions in Ktrans and SD value after the first radiation. All tumors showed increased volume after the first radiation therapy. CONCLUSION: The good response after radiation therapy group in the DLD-1 colon cancer xenograft nude mouse model exhibited a higher pretreatment Ktrans and showed an early reduction in Ktrans, demonstrating a more homogenous distribution.
Animals ; Colonic Neoplasms/*pathology/*radiotherapy ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Animals ; Cell Cycle ; Doxorubicin ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; K562 Cells ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo assess the safety of hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of radiation-induced hemorrhagic cystitis in patients with prostate cancer, and to investigate its effect on the growth of indolent prostate cancer in vivo.

METHODSThirty severe combined-immunodeficient mice received subcutaneous injection of human prostate cancer LNCaP cells. Then they were randomized to an experimental and a control group and exposed to 20 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen and normobaric air, respectively, followed by a 4-week observation on the growth of the transplanted tumors and analyses of their histopathological features at 28 days, including the volume, microvessel density (CD34), apoptosis markers (p53 and p27 proteins) and the proliferation index (Ki-67) of the LNCaP tumors.

RESULTSOn the 28th day after tumor vaccination, the tumor volume was (120 +/- 7.9) mm3 in the HBO and (122 +/- 8.2) mm3 in the control group; the microvessel density and the expressions of Ki-67, p53 and p27 were 39.3 +/- 5.2, (78.1 +/- 7.6)%, (40.4 +/- 6.2)% and (63.7 +/- 5.1)% in the former, and 36.2 +/- 4.9, (75.3 +/- 8.4)%, (44.2 +/- 5.7)% and (61.5 +/- 5.5)% in the latter. There were no significant differences in all the indexes above between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHyperbaric oxygen did not promote the growth of indolent prostate cancer in the murine model, nor did it have any significant effect on the new vessels.

Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, SCID ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVE: To investigate inhibitory activities of a homogenous anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-antibody drug conjugate (ADC) on the proliferation of nine tumor cell lines with different levels of HER2 expressions, and its activities on the tumor growth of five xenograft mouse models. METHODS: The HER2 expression levels of BT-474, Calu-3, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, SK-BR-3, SK-OV-3, HCC1954, NCI-N87 tumor cell lines were measured using QIFI KIT. For the in vitro anti-proliferation assay, serial diluted anti-HER2-ADC, ado-trastuzumab emtansine, AS269, pAF-AS269 and paclitaxel were added to the seeded cells, and after 72 or 96 hours of incubation, the cell proliferation was analyzed. For the in vivo activity, 5-6 weeks old mice were inoculated with four HER2 positive tumor cell lines HCC1954, BT-474, SK-OV-3, NCI-N87 or one HER2 negative tumor cell line MDA-MB-468. Different amounts of anti-HER2-ADC, ado-trastuzumab emtansine, trastuzumab, paclitaxel and phosphate buffered saline control were injected after the tumor volume reached a certain size, then the tumor growth inhibition was analyzed. RESULTS: The expression levels of the six high HER2-expression cell lines SK-OV-3, NCI-N87, SK-BR-3, Calu-3, HCC1954, BT-474 were between 430 000 to 800 000 receptors per cell, which were 50 times higher than those of the other three low HER2 expression tumor cell lines MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, MDA-MB-468. Anti-HER2-ADC had inhibition effects on cell lines with high level of HER2 expression in the in vitro anti-proliferation assay. The half maximal inhibitory concentrations of anti-HER2-ADC on SK-OV-3, NCI-N87, SK-BR-3, Calu-3, HCC1954, BT-474 tumor cell lines were 46 pmol/L, 17 pmol/L, 17 pmol/L, 161 pmol/L, 125 pmol/L, 50 pmol/L, respectively. Anti-HER2-ADC had a dose dependent antitumor activity in vivo in all the HER2 positive xenograft mouse models. In NCI-N87 xenograft tumor model, the same dose of anti-HER2-ADC showed better anti-tumor activity compared with trastuzumab and ado-trastuzumab emtansine, and its relative tumor proliferation rates were about 1/30 to 1/20 of the two. In HCC1954 xenograft tumor model, the complete regression of the tumor was observed. As expected, anti-HER2-ADC had no tumor inhibitory effects on MDA-MB-468 xenograft models with low HER2 expression. The antitumor activities of anti-HER2-ADC in HER2 positive xenograft tumor models were the same as or better than the activities of ado-trastuzumab emtansine. CONCLUSION The homogenous site-specific anti-HER2-ADC obtained using unnatural amino acid technology can inhibit the growth of high HER2-expression tumor cells with high potency both in vivo and in vitro.
Amino Acids ; Animals ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Immunoconjugates ; Mice ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; Trastuzumab ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

PURPOSE: Hormone-refractory prostate cancer(HRPC) is the terminal step in the natural history of prostate cancer, for which no chemotherapeutic agents have been shown to impact on the clinical outcomes. However, taxane-based therapies have recently appeared to have a significant efficacy on HRPC. The therapeutic effect of paclitaxel was evaluated against metastatic human prostate cancer PC-3 xenografted into athymic nude mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 24 male nude mice subcutaneously transplanted with the PC3 cell line were divided in 2 groups. An experimental group was given paclitaxel intraperitoneally at a dose of 12.5mg/kg per injection per day for 4 consecutive days, from the 6th and 20th day following tumor injection. All mice were observed for 31 days, and sacrificed by CO2 gas asphyxiation at the end of the experiment. The mean tumor volume and body weight of both groups were compared using student's t-tests. A tumor volume of more than 200mm3 was regarded as dead. The survival rate was indirectly analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The mean tumor volume of the paclitaxel treatment group was significantly reduced from the 20th day after tumor injection until the end of the experiment compared with the control group. The mean body weight of both groups was different significantly from the 17th day after tumor injection until the end of the experiment, but after removal of the tumor mass, at the 31st day after tumor injection, no significant difference was observed between the two groups. The survival rate of the paclitaxel treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data has shown that paclitaxel is effective in suppressing the growth rate of a HRPC cell line in vivo and improved the survival rate. It is believe that further clinical assessment of the optimal dose and schedule of this drug are warranted.
Animals ; Appointments and Schedules ; Body Weight ; Cell Line* ; Heterografts* ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude* ; Natural History ; Paclitaxel* ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Survival Rate ; Tumor Burden ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo investigate in vivo inhibitory effect of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) on xenografted Kasumi-1 tumor in nude mice and its mechanism.

METHODSXenografted Kasumi-1 tumor mouse model was established by subcutaneous inoculation of Kasumi-1 cells. Xenotransplanted nude mice were assigned into control or VPA treatment groups. Volume of the xenografted tumors was measured and compared between the two groups. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was applied to detection of tumor cell apoptosis. The gene expression of GM-CSF, HDAC1, Ac-H3 and survivin was studied with semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. ChIP method was used to assay the effects of VPA on acetylation of histone H3 within GM-CSF promoter region.

RESULTS(1) VAP significantly inhibited xenografted Kasumi-1 tumor growth. The calculated inhibition rate was 57.25%. (2) Morphologic study showed that VPA induced differentiation and apoptosis of Kasumi-1 tumor cells. The apoptosis index of VAP treatment group [(3.661 +/- 0.768)%] was significantly higher than that of control group [(0.267 +/- 0.110)%]. (3) Comparing to those in control group, the level of nuclear HDAC1 protein was significantly decreased, the Ac-H3 protein expression level was increased, the mRNA and protein expression levels of GM-CSF and acetylation of histone H3 were remarkably increased, and the gene expression level of survivin significantly decreased in VPA treatment group.

CONCLUSIONVAP significantly inhibits xenografted Kasumi-1 tumor growth and induces tumor cell differentiation and apoptosis. The mechanism may be decrease of survivin gene expression, inhibition of nuclear expression of HDAC, promotion of histone protein acetylation level and acetylation of histone H3 within GM-CSF promoter region, and increase of GM-CSF transcription.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Valproic Acid ; pharmacology ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of hTERT antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ASODN) on the oncogenicity and the inductive apoptosis of HL-60 cells.

METHODSApoptosis of HL-60 cells was detected by flow cytometry (FCM) and agarose gel electrophoresis. Both treated and untreated HL-60 cells were collected and transplanted into 5 BALB/c nude mice respectively, the formation of transplanted neoplasm and its morphologic change were observed. After the transplanted neoplasms were uniform with the ameliorated method in another 10 BALB/c nude mice, they were divided into 2 groups and injected ASODN and PBS into the neoplasm respectively. Seven days later, the tumor were measured, its morphology were observed, and the apoptotic cells were detected with a TUNEL kit.

RESULTSAfter 72 h treatment there were DNA ladders and early apoptosis peak in hTERT ASODN treated HL-60 cells but was none in SODN treated and blank control cells. In tumor formation experiment, neoplasms were formed in ASODN treated group at 16-17 d and untreated group at 12-13 d. Neoplasm was formed in 2 of 5 ASODN treated mice and 4 of 5 untreated mice respectively. In untreated mice tumor tissues were rich in blood vasa and stromal tissue compared with that in ASODN treated mice. In tumor therapy experiment, before treatment, there was no difference in the average neoplasm physical volume between ASODN treated group [(100.9 +/- 24.6) mm3] and PBS treated group [(98.4 +/- 23.1) mm3] (P > 0.05). After treatment, the neoplasm volume in ASODN treated group [(422.7 +/- 326.4) mm3] was smaller than that in PBS treated group [(786.4 +/- 357.6) mm3] (P < 0.05). Histologically, there were many apoptosis cells in ASODN treated group, but was seldom seen in PBS treated group. The TUNEL positive cells in ASODN treated group were much more than that in PBS treated group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe hTERT ASODN induces apoptosis of HL-60 cells in vitro, reduces the tumor formation in BALB/c nude mice and inhibits the growth of the transplanted neoplasm.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense ; pharmacology ; Telomerase ; genetics ; Transfection ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti-tumor effect of a novel gene-viral therapeutic system CNHK300-murine endostatin (CNHK300-mE) on gastric cancer.

METHODSSGC-7901 gastric cancer cells (5 x 10(7) cells/mouse) were injected s.c. into the right flank of Balb/c nude mice, grown to 4-5 mm to demonstrate tumor take, and 10(9) pfu/100 microl CNHK300-mE virus was injected into tumors. Tumor sizes were measured with calipers every other day. Serum samples were obtained by retro-orbital puncture and level of endostatin expression in serum was quantitated by ELISA. Fifteen days after treatment, all mice were sacrificed and tumors were excised for immunohistochemical staining of PCNA, hexon and vWF. Tumor cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL method.

RESULTSFrom the 7th day post-treatment, the bearing tumors of mice treated with CNHK300-mE were significantly smaller than those of control group treated with PBS. Seven days after treatment, expression of endostatin was (2115 +/- 770) ng/ml, significantly higher than that of control group. Immunohistochemical staining indicated that hexon was expressed in treated tumor cells, and PCNA LI (label index) [(55.0+/-1.4)% vs control (74.1 +/- 0.4)%, P<0.05], microvessel density (MVD) of CNHK300-mE treated tumors decreased significantly. Apoptosis obviously increased in tumor cells[(78.4 +/- 9.1)% vs control (15.2 +/- 0.5)%, P<0.01]. Apoptosis bodies and crystal grid were found in tumor cell nuclear by electron microscope.

CONCLUSIONSGene-viral therapeutic system CNHK300-murine endostatin can replicate in gastric cancer cells. The mouse endostatin gene cloned into CNHK300-mE expressed in high level. CNHK300-mE may induce tumor cells apoptosis, reduce the expression of PCNA and efficiently suppress gastric cancer growth through inhibiting tumor angiogenesis.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Endostatins ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Stomach Neoplasms ; therapy ; Telomerase ; genetics ; Transfection ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the inhibitory of profrin II nanoparticles photodynamic therapy on Lovo human colon cancer xenografts in athymic mice.

METHODSProfrin II nanoparticles were obtained from hypersound emulsification method. LOVO human colon cancer xenograft were established in athymic mice. Athymic mice were divided into four groups:normal control group, profrin II nanoparticles control group, profrin II PDT group and profrin II nanoparticles PDT group. The animals bearing xenografts were treated 30 mg/kg body weight profrin II nanoparticles and 3 h later were irradiated with 9 J/cm(2) light from a diode laser. After Profrin II nanoparticles PDT, the anti-tumor effect was assessed by measuring tumor volume over a 3-4 weeks period, the morphologic changes were observed by microscopy and microscopy via the histological examination.

RESULTSCompared with the control groups, profrin II nanoparticles control group, profrin II PDT group and profrin II nanoparticles-PDT treated tumors had regressed significantly in earlier period with the inhibiting rate being 87.9% (P<0.05), 87.5% (P<0.05) and 56.0% respectively (P<0.05). In the later period post-PDT, tumors growth resumed with a slower rate. Profrin II nanoparticles-PDT prolonged the survival time in the treated group with (38.0+/-6.0) days (P<0.05). Extensive damage to tumor tissue was found in the earlier period (7d) post-PDT, whereas in the later period (21d) post-PDT, islands of vital-looking tumor cells were observed around the damaged tissue.

CONCLUSIONProfrin II nanoparticles-PDT results in inhibition Lovo colon carcinoma growth in post-PDT earlier period in vivo, and can prolong the survival time of nude mice bearing xenografts significantly, whereas profrin II-PDT could not inhibit the growth of colon tumor completely.

Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Colonic Neoplasms ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Nanoparticles ; Photochemotherapy ; Photosensitizing Agents ; therapeutic use ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays