A New Mouse Model of Human Prostate Cancer Driven by MYC Overexpression and PTEN Loss

School Name

Governor's School for Science & Mathematics

Grade Level

12th Grade

Presentation Topic

Physiology and Health

Presentation Type

Mentored

Mentor

Mentor: Charles Bieberich , University of Maryland Baltimore County

Abstract

Most forms of prostate cancer depend on the presence of androgen, a class of male hormones, which binds to androgen receptors located on the surface of the prostate cells to support growth. Androgen-independent prostate cancer occurs after the disease has progressed such that it no longer relies on the presence of androgen, thereby making traditional treatments, including hormone deprivation therapy, ineffective. The goal of this project was to determine the in vivo growth characteristics of two newly-derived androgen independent mouse prostate cancer cell lines developed from a genetically engineered mouse model. Clonal cell lines from liver and lymph node metastatic sites in the BMPC mouse prostate cancer model (FVB/N background) were injected subcutaneously into athymic nude mice (Balb/c background) and FVB/N mice. Growth curves of xenograft tumors located in the immunocompromised athymic nude mice and FVB/N mice were determined by daily measurements of tumor size. The study showed that the cell line derived from the liver metastasis produced xenograft tumors in the athymic nude mice, as well as allograft tumors in the FVB mice. These data suggest that allografts of metastatic BMPC cell lines grown in immunocompetent FVB mice are a viable option for pre-clinical trials of treatments for androgen independent prostate cancer.

Location

Wall 318

Start Date

3-25-2017 9:30 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 25th, 9:30 AM

A New Mouse Model of Human Prostate Cancer Driven by MYC Overexpression and PTEN Loss

Wall 318

Most forms of prostate cancer depend on the presence of androgen, a class of male hormones, which binds to androgen receptors located on the surface of the prostate cells to support growth. Androgen-independent prostate cancer occurs after the disease has progressed such that it no longer relies on the presence of androgen, thereby making traditional treatments, including hormone deprivation therapy, ineffective. The goal of this project was to determine the in vivo growth characteristics of two newly-derived androgen independent mouse prostate cancer cell lines developed from a genetically engineered mouse model. Clonal cell lines from liver and lymph node metastatic sites in the BMPC mouse prostate cancer model (FVB/N background) were injected subcutaneously into athymic nude mice (Balb/c background) and FVB/N mice. Growth curves of xenograft tumors located in the immunocompromised athymic nude mice and FVB/N mice were determined by daily measurements of tumor size. The study showed that the cell line derived from the liver metastasis produced xenograft tumors in the athymic nude mice, as well as allograft tumors in the FVB mice. These data suggest that allografts of metastatic BMPC cell lines grown in immunocompetent FVB mice are a viable option for pre-clinical trials of treatments for androgen independent prostate cancer.