Development of clinically relevant orthotopic xenograft mouse model of metastatic lung cancer and glioblastoma through surgical tumor tissues injection with trocar

OBJECTIVE Orthotopic models are important in cancer research. Here we developed orthotopic xenograft mouse model of metastatic lung cancer and glioblastoma with a specially designed system. METHODS Tiny fragments of surgical tumors were implanted into the mice brain with a trocar system. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect brain tumor stem cells among glioblastoma tissues, including both the original and resulting ones with monoclonal antibody against CD133. RESULTS Besides the constant high take rates in both models; brain transplants perfectly resembled their original tumors in biological behaviors. The brain tumor stem cells, positively stained with CD133 were found, though not frequently, in both original and resulting glioblastoma tissues. CONCLUSIONS Orthotopic model established with a trocar system is effective and injection of tumor tissues containing stem cells promise the forming of new tumor mass when grafted.