Prostate Cancer Xenografts

Altogen Labs validated Prostate Cancer Xenograft animal models:

The prostate is a small gland in the male reproductive system that produces and secretes a fluid that makes up part of semen. It is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum, and surrounds the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine and semen out of the body. The prostate gland is normally about the size of a walnut, but it can become enlarged as a man ages, which is a common condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Enlargement of the prostate can cause difficulty with urination and other urinary problems. Prostate cancer is also a common health concern for men. It occurs when cells in the prostate gland grow and divide uncontrollably, forming a tumor. Prostate cancer is usually slow-growing and may not cause any symptoms in its early stages, but can be detected through routine screening tests such as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test or a digital rectal exam (DRE).

Prostate cancer are generally slow growing and sometimes have no symptoms in early stages. Some symptoms include bloody urine (hematuria), difficulty urinating, painful urination (dysuria), back pain or pelvis pain. Risk factors include old age, race and family history. Mutated genes implicated in contributing to the development of prostate cancer include BRCA1, BRCA2, HPC1, TMPRSS2-ETS, TMPRSS2-ERG, TMPRSS2-ETC1/4 and the vitamin D receptor. Cellular pathways associated with the pathophysiology of prostate cancer include PTEN, PI3k/Akt, pacrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) and FAK. Most prostate cancers occur in epithelial cells and so are classified as adenocarcinomas. In this case, cancer cells are relatively confined and referred to as prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). After these cells progress they can invade the stroma and nearby organs. Diagnostic methods include medical imaging (MRI, higher resolution, or ultrasound, lower resolution) and tissue biopsies. Tumor markers include elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen and Ki-67. Treatment includes surveillance, brachytherapy, external beam radiation therapy, cryosurgery, HIFU, hormonal therapy, cryotherapy and the cancer vaccine Sipuleucel-T. It is the nature of the prostate to be hormone sensitive and dependent, and many hormone dependent prostate cancers become treatment resistant within three years; such cases have been referred to as “hormone-refractory prostate cancer” and “androgen-independent prostate cancer” and are generally castration-resistant. Combination chemotherapy and immunotherapy are often used in these cases to increase survival by months and research has been looking into stem-like directed differentiation therapy. Early stage detection typically has a 5-year survival rate while with late stage detection this drops to 29%.

Using human xenograft models of prostate cancer, as previously mentioned, is a powerful research tool, and there are several models of prostate cancer to choose from. There are links above to some of the most common tissue culture models that Altogen Labs has available, summarized in the table below. Models are often selected based on morphology, genetics, histology, early vs. late stage phenotype, invasive/aggressive properties, and abnormal protein expressions (usually relating to cell cycle, apoptosis, growth and angiogenesis). The goal of xenografts and murine models is to mirror human pathology and disease as closely as possible so that accurate insights into cellular events are achieved. This aspect is particularly critical with preclinical drug testing for accurately evaluating compound efficacy.

Cell Line	Characteristics
DU-145	· Epithelial human prostate carcinoma from metastatic parieto-occipital brain site· Hormone insensitive · Prostate-specific antigen negative · Androgen-receptor positive · Hypotriploid karyotype · Morphology includes microvilli, desmosomes, tonofilaments, heterogeneous lysomes, mitochondria and well developed Golgi
LNCaP	· Epithelial prostate carcinoma derived from a human supraclavicular lymph node metastasis· Hypotetraploid karyotype · Androgen and estrogen receptor positive · Expresses human prostatic acid phosphatase and prostate specific antigen · Responsive to 5-α-dihydrotestosterone
PC-3	· Isolated from a bone marrow metastasis of human grade IV epithelial prostate cancer· Established after patient went through androgen suppression therapy · Exhibits high metastatic potential · Expresses HLA A1 and A9 · Prostate specific antigen negative · Exhibits similar characteristics to small cell neoendocrine carcinoma

Altogen Labs is one of the leading biology contract research organization (CRO) based in Austin, Texas. Altogen Labs provides years of expert research in xenograft experiments taking advantage of the comprehensive expertise the company has developed in the use of human tumor xenografts for research and clinical purposes. Altogen Labs offers a complete suite of laboratory services, including:

xenotransplantation study design
selection of appropriate cancer model/cell line
host animal selection
subcutaneous or orthotopic xenografting
daily observation of experimental subjects
post-experiment analysis, including serum collection and histology

Mouse strains available:

Mouse type	T cells	B cells	NK cells	Coat	Other Notes
CD1	No	Yes	Yes	White/albino	Outbred
B6	Yes	Yes	Yes	White/albino	Inbred
Balb/c	No	Yes	Yes	Nude, albino	Inbred
Balb/SCID	No	No	Yes	White	Inbred
NOD/SCID	No	No	Impaired	White	Inbred
Nu/nu	No	Yes	Yes	Nude	Outbred
CD57BL	Yes	Yes	Yes	Dark brown/black	Inbred
CB17	Yes	Yes	Yes	White	Inbred
NSG	No	No	No	White	Inbred
Swiss Nude	No	Yes	Yes	Nude	Outbred

All laboratory studies are performed by experienced personnel in a GLP-compliant and IACUC-regulated facility in Austin, Texas. Please contact us at info@altogenlabs.com, or call 512-433-6177 to discuss xenograft study details.