I found this page via a google search... I'm also interested if I can use cumate in nude mice to induce a gene that has been integrated into tumor tissue and xenografted. Did you discover your answer elsewhere?

I did receive an email from the company marketing the system in which they informed me they were testing the system in mice.  From everything I could find, cumate is pretty nontoxic but I'm not sure how well it dissolves or is absorbed.  You might try contacting System Biosciences (SBI) and see if they are still testing the system.

Recently, I've been in touch with SBI. I'll include the email correspondence below: 

Hi Evan,

Thank you for the background information. It helps to know your experimental goals and design in order to provide information that better addresses your needs.

I would like to schedule a call with my colleague, Travis Antes, next week to discuss the in vivo performance of the inducible system further. As mentioned in the previous correspondence from Jake and Young, the test results show two key attributes for this system: tight expression with essentially no leakage and an ability to cross the blood brain barrier.

Please let me know the best day and time to schedule a call (Tuesday through Friday) next week, after Travis returns from his business trip.

I look forward to your reply.

Cheers,

Laurie

Laurie Muscatel Goldman

Sales Manager

System Biosciences (SBI)

265 North Whisman Road

Mountain View, CA 94043

Cell: 925.323.0569

Office: 650.968.2200 x103

Fax: 650.968.2277

[email protected]

www.systembio.com

Visit of our Linked-in Page by clicking

From: Evan Reddick [mailto:[email protected]]

Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2014 2:46 PM

To: Jake Lesnik

Cc: Travis Antes; Laurie Goldman; Young Kim

Subject: Re: Contact Us Submission from Evan Reddick

Hi Jake, Young, Travis, and Laurie-

That sounds great, I’ll look forward to talking to Travis in the near future.

A bit of background on what I want to do, so as you guys can better meet/anticipate my needs. I have a protein toxin that kills and/or growth arrests a particular cancer cell type. I would like to have an inducible lentiviral system such that I can stably integrate my toxin gene into the cell line, pick single clones using FACS and puromycin, and then introduce them into a mouse xenograft. Because the toxin so potently kills/growth arrests this cell type, leaky expression is a bad thing for me. After it’s been introduced and forms tumors, then I can IP or feed mice with the inducer, in this case, cumate.

Thanks very much for the assistance, and I look forward to speaking more about your products. The main reason I’m interested here is that the data suggests that the cumate system seems to be less leaky than the Tet/on Dox inducible system that is available from several other providers.

Cheers,

Evan

On Aug 14, 2014, at 1:48 PM, Jake Lesnik wrote:

Hi Evan –

Thank you for your inquiry. In fact, we are pleased to inform you that we have recently developed and validated a water-soluble version of cumate that should help you do exactly what you are suggesting. See attached data from a similar type of experimental setup.

I don’t have the exact cumate administration protocol, but I will ask one of my colleagues to follow up with this. Our lead scientist for this program, Travis, is on a business trip and may not be back in the office until Monday, but we will follow up with more information as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Jake

Jake Lesnik

Director of Business Development & Marketing

System Biosciences (SBI)

265 North Whisman Rd.

Mountain View, CA 94043

Phone 973-986-5875

FAX 650-968-2277

[email protected]

http://www.systembio.com

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]

Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2014 8:22 AM

To: Travis Antes; Jake Lesnik; Young Kim

Subject: Contact Us Submission from Evan Reddick

A promotion was received from:

Name: Evan Reddick

Title: postdoctoral researcher

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 214.633.1373

Institution: Univ. Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Comments: I'm interested in xenografting tumor cells with stable integrations of a cumate-inducible gene into nude mice. Has this been done in the past? Can you provide me with any information regarding the administration of cumate to mice? Thank you in advance.

Dear,

Any further information on the use of this system in vivo? Thanks, JB

I am also interested in cumate-inducible gene expression in vivo and have been in contact with System Biosciences over the past several months. Although they eluded to the fact they are still working on it they did provide me with this link, which provides initial POC that cumate can induce expression in vivo;

https://www.systembio.com/eev-plasmid-vectors/invivo

A colleague of mine told me that while induction seems to work following cumate administration IP, they have so far been unable to induce via IV injection.

Hope this helps.  

Dear Eric,

Following your question, I was wondering what your experiences at the moment are with using cumate-inducible systems in vivo. I am also considering using it for in vivo purposes.

Thanks in advance.

J 

Hi All,

this is a great stream of questions/responses

are there any updates to this?

has anyone used cumate inducible promoter in mice?

thanks,

 Greg

As of a couple of weeks ago, no. They were offering a discount on the system if we were going to try...but that's not super helpful unfortunately.

It was discussed in my paper: Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2017 Jun;214:101-104. doi: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2017.04.007.I