Ortho- and ectopic zebrafish xeno-engraftment of ocular melanoma to recapitulate primary tumor and experimental metastasis development

Animal science

Automated Whole Animal Bio-Imaging Assay for Human Cancer Dissemination

A quantitative bio-imaging platform is developed for analysis of human cancer dissemination in a short-term vertebrate xenotransplantation assay. Six days after implantation of cancer cells in zebrafish embryos, automated imaging in 96 well plates coupled to image analysis algorithms quantifies spreading throughout the host. Findings in this model correlate with behavior in long-term rodent xenograft models for panels of poorly- versus highly malignant cell lines derived from breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer. In addition, cancer cells with scattered mesenchymal characteristics show higher dissemination capacity than cell types with epithelial appearance. Moreover, RNA interference establishes the metastasis-suppressor role for E-cadherin in this model. This automated quantitative whole animal bio-imaging assay can serve as a first-line in vivo screening step in the anti-cancer drug target discovery pipeline

Evaluation of (fli:GFP) Casper Zebrafish Embryos as a Model for Human Conjunctival Melanoma

Conjunctival melanoma (CM) is a rare malignant disease that can lead to recurrences and metastases. There is a lack of effective treatments for the metastases, and we set out to develop a new animal model to test potential therapies. Zebrafish are being used as a model for many diseases, and our goal was to test whether this animal could be used to study CM.\nThree human CM cell lines (CRMM-1 and CM2005.1, which both harbor a B-RAF mutation, and CRMM-2, which has an N-RAS mutation) were injected into the yolk sac, around the eye, and into the duct of Cuvier of transgenic (fli:GFP) Casper zebrafish embryos. Fluorescent and confocal images were taken to assess the phenotype and the behavior of engrafted cells and to test the effect of Vemurafenib as a treatment against CM.\nWhile the cells that had been injected inside the yolk sac died and those injected around the eye sporadically went into the circulation, the cells that had been injected into the duct of Cuvier colonized the zebrafish: cells from all three cell lines proliferated and disseminated to the eyes, where they formed clusters, and to the tail, where we noticed extravasation and micrometastases. Vemurafenib, a potent agent for treatment of B-RAF V600E-positive melanoma, inhibited outgrowth of CRMM-1 and CM2005.1 cells in a mutation-dependent way.\nThe (fli:GFP) Casper zebrafish embryo can be used as an efficient animal model to study metastatic behavior of human CM cells and warrants further testing of drug efficacy to aid care of CM patients.\nPurpose\nMethods\nResults\nConclusionsAnimal science

Establishment of embryonic zebrafish xenograft assays to investigate TGF-β family signaling in human breast cancer progression

Animal science

Inhibition of signaling between human CXCR4 and zebrafish ligands by the small molecule IT1t impairs the formation of triple-negative breast cancer early metastases in a zebrafish xenograft model

Animal science

The receptor tyrosine kinase RON and its isoforms as therapeutic targets in Ewing sarcoma

Animal science

Zebrafish as a model system for characterization of nanoparticles against cancer

Animal science

Feasibility of pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling at 7 T with whole-brain coverage

Neuro Imaging Researc