IP injection is challenging route for tumor growth. IV injection into 3 week old mice or following ablation of NK cells will work somewhat better. NK cells which are very high in adult nude mice can limit tumor growth following injection. Thus, the use of 3 week old mice or injection of anti-asilo GM-1 anti-serium. You can of course also use NOD-SCID or Nude-Bg mice which have reduced numbers of NK cells.

However, my recommendation would be to inject into an orthotopic site i.e. the mammary fat pad.

Can provide additional comments and references if needed.

IP injection is challenging route for tumor growth. IV injection into 3 week old mice or following ablation of NK cells will work somewhat better. NK cells which are very high in adult nude mice can limit tumor growth following injection. Thus, the use of 3 week old mice or injection of anti-asilo GM-1 anti-serium. You can of course also use NOD-SCID or Nude-Bg mice which have reduced numbers of NK cells.

However, my recommendation would be to inject into an orthotopic site i.e. the mammary fat pad.

Can provide additional comments and references if needed.

Dear Dr. Talmadge

Please give references. If you have any detailed protocol, it would be great help for me.

The following are personal references but there are many others available.

Overview

Talmadge, J. E., R. K. Singh, I. J. Fidler, and A. Raz. “Murine models to evaluate novel and conventional therapeutic strategies for cancer.” The American journal of pathology 170, no. 3 (2007): 793.

Fidler, I. J. “Experimental orthotopic models of organ-specific metastasis by human neoplasms.” Advances in Molecular and Cell Biology 9 (1994): 191–215.

Fidler, I. J., S. Naito, and S. Pathak. “Orthotopic implantation is essential for the selection, growth and metastasis of human real cell cancer in nude mice.” Cancer and Metastasis Reviews 9, no. 2 (1990): 149–165.

Procedure

Talmadge, J. E. “Models of metastasis in drug discovery.” Mouse models for drug discovery: methods and protocols, Humana Press, Bar Harbor (2010): 215–233.

Nude mice and NK cells

Fidler, I J. “Rationale and methods for the use of nude mice to study the biology and therapy of human cancer metastasis.” Cancer metastasis reviews 5, no. 1 (1986): 29–49.

Hanna, N., TW Davis, and IJ Fidler. “Environmental and genetic factors determine the level of NK activity of nude mice and affect their suitability as models for experimental metastasis.” International Journal of Cancer 30, no. 3 (1982): 371–376.

Talmadge JE, Meyers KM, Prieur DJ, Starkey JR. Role of NK cells in tumour growth and metastasis in beige mice. Nature. 1980 Apr 17;284(5757):622-4.

Thanks so much.

Dear Yong

it depend s on where you want the metastasis. for example if you want in brain you can inject or in to the jugulares or by intracardiac puncture. but of course you can have metastasis also in liver and in lung.. so most dipend s on where you want. for exp there are specific metastatic cancer cells that have specific tropism for some tissue.. I study brain so i know if you select the cells with appropriate tropism and inject in the heart high percentage of them go and grow in the brain. but anyway this model can give variability. but if the cells exprime luciferase then you can check all body

so maybe you should follow the advice of James Talmadge and do ortotopic .. in this way you know for sure where they are .. and you can follow them

Dear Yong,

I agree with previous replies. Our lab uses tail vein methods for establishing the metastasis model of lung in breast cancer in NOD-SCID mice which is quite known and effective method. If you need I could provide that protocol including no. of cells to be injected and other details. Kindly let me know....

Dear Dr. Tomar,

Please let me know your protocol. It will be great help.

If you want to study metatasis then you need to inject orthtopically ie if a breast line then into the mammary fat pad of the mouse. Mda 231 will not metastasise from a sub cutaneous injection of cells. The tumour will grow at the site of sub cutaneous injection but will not metastasise from there.

Dear Dr. Tomar,

Please also let me know your protocol. It will be great help.