When it comes to pre-clinical mouse studies, the difference between success and failure depends on choosing the right tumor model. Let Imanis help you save time, energy, and money by reviewing key factors to consider when picking a tumor model cell line.
Compare Tumor Models
Mouse models are a critical component of preclinical oncology research, providing valuable insights into tumor biology, host responses, and therapeutic efficacy. But finding a model that accurately recapitulates cancer-host interactions is challenging, as no single model is best for every application. Imanis offers numerous tumor cell lines for various study purposes and mouse models. A good tumor model should:
There are two key components of mouse tumor models: the mice and the implanted tumor cell line. When choosing a tumor cell line, it’s important to consider not only characteristics of the cell line itself, but also how that cell line is intended to be used for studies. Consider the following questions:
Most tumor cell lines are tumorigenic in vivo when implanted using an appropriate method, but that’s not always the case. Even if in vivo studies aren’t part of the initial plan, picking a tumorigenic cell line for in vitro studies can ensure consistency between models if later in vivo studies are performed.
Understanding the efficacy of immuno-therapies requires the presence of an intact immune system or at least partial immune system components. For many studies of blood cancers, reconstitution of immunocompromised mice with human PBMCs (humanization) provides the necessary immune cells for accurate analysis. In contrast, studies of immuno-therapies targeting solid tumors generally require the use of immunocompetent mice, which in turn requires using a syngeneic mouse tumor cell line that was derived from the same strain of mice.
Some studies are designed to study specific human cancers, while others focus on certain characteristics that may be shared by otherwise diverse cancers. For studies of specific human cancers, pick a cell line tumor model derived from that type of cancer.
There are several ways to implant tumor cells in mice.
Not all tumor cell lines are compatible with each method of implantation. So if a specific type of biodistribution is needed for a study, make sure to choose a cell line compatible with that distribution.
The most informative data comes when tumors/tumor burden can be tracked in the same animals over time, which requires noninvasive methods. Subcutaneous tumors can be measured by caliper once they are big enough, but orthotopic and disseminated models generally require a reporter gene for longitudinal noninvasive tracking. For mouse studies, firefly luciferase is the most common reporter gene used for noninvasive imaging of cancer cells, though ultimately the reporter of choice depends on a number of factors, including the availability of necessary imaging equipment. All Imanis tumor cell lines stably express at least one reporter gene to facilitate noninvasive monitoring of tumor burden. These reporters also help facilitate rapid and quantitative measures in in vitro studies as well.
In immunocompetent/syngeneic models, the tumor microenvironment created by different tumor cells has a major impact on how tumors respond to immunotherapies. Most tumors, especially solid tumors, are immunosuppressive, but the degree of immunosuppression can vary between tumors. “Hot” tumors have high inflammatory signatures and generally respond effectively to immunotherapies. In contrast, “cold” tumors have low inflammatory signatures and are relatively resistant to standard immunotherapies without additional “armoring” of the therapies. Thus, hot tumors are generally considered low-bar models for immunotherapies, while cold tumors are considered high-bar models.
Many developing cancer therapies are targeted to specific tumor cell markers. Expression of these tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) on the tumor cell surface is a prerequisite for these types of therapies. The Imanis tumor cell line catalog includes a variety of cell lines expressing different TAAs of interest, whether endogenously or through engineered overexpression. For several key TAAs (BCMA, CD19, and CD20), Imanis offers panels of modified cell lines expressing different levels of the TAAs on the same cell background.
Imanis offers a variety of off-the-shelf, modified tumor model cell lines. The following tables compare several key characteristics and applications of these tumor cell lines to help select the right model for your research.
| Cell Line | Disease Model | Model Characteristics | Strain | Common Applications for Study | Available from Imanis with Reporters* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4T1 | Mammary Carcinoma | Highly tumorigenic/metastatic "Cold" (immunosuppressive) Subcutaneous, orthotopic, and intravenous models Metastases to the lung, liver, bone, brain Mimics stage IV human breast cancer | Balb/c | Triple-negative breast cancer Tumor metastases Immunotherapies | Luciferase, eGFP |
| A20 | B-cell lymphoma | Lymphoblastic with typical B-cell markers "Cold" (immunosuppressive) Subcutaneous, intracranial, and intravenous models Tumors frequently in bone marrow, liver, spleen, lymph nodes, ovaries, and peritoneal cavity | Balb/c | Cancer Immunology Immunotherapies Apoptosis | Luciferase, eGFP |
| B16F10 | Melanoma | Rapidly growing High melanin production "Cold" (immunosuppressive) Subcutaneous and disseminated models Metastases primarily in lungs | C57BL/6 | Immunotherapies Tumor metastases Cancer signaling pathways | Luciferase, eGFP |
| C1498 | Acute leukemia | Highly lethal "Cold" (immunosuppressive) Subcutaneous and disseminated models Metastases in bone marrow, liver, spleen, lymph nodes, kidney, skin, and nervous system | C57BL/6J | Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy Drug screening | Luciferase, eGFP |
| CT26.WT | Colon carcinoma | Highly characterized, undifferentiated "Hot" (immune responsive) Subcutaneous and disseminated models Metastases primarily in lung, liver, and peritoneal | Balb/c | Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy Tumor metastases | Luciferase, eGFP |
| Hepa1-6 | Hepatocellular Carcinoma | "Hot" (immune responsive) Secretes liver products Variable tumorigenicity in C57L/J mice Subcutaneous, orthotopic, intravenous models Metastases primarily in lungs | C57L/J | Liver cancer research Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy Cancer Metabolism | Luciferase, eGFP |
| LL/2 | Lewis lung carcinoma | Rapidly growing Mixed population of adherent and suspension "Cold" (immunosuppressive) Subcutaneous and disseminated models Metastases primarily in the lungs | C57BL | Tumor Immunology Immunotherapy Tumor Metastases | Luciferase, eGFP |
*Reporter expression can change the immunogenicity of parental cell lines. See individual product pages for more information; some lines only show consistent growth in immunocompromised mice.
| Characteristics of the Parental Cell Line | Imanis Variants Available | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cell Line | Disease Model | Model Characteristics | Common Applications for Study | Endogenous TAA expressed | Reporters | TAA Modifications* |
| A375 | Malignant melanoma | Rapidly growing Highly tumorigenic Primarily subcutaneous model Can form experimental metastases in lung, liver, bone, and lymph node | Melanoma progression Tumor metastases Oncology drug screens | EGFR, B7H3 | Luciferase, eGFP, iRFP | |
| A549 | Pulmonary adenocarcinoma | Highly characterized, widely used Non-small cell lung carcinoma Primarily subcutaneous model but capable of experimental metastases | High throughput-screening Respiratory virus assays Toxicology assays | EGFR, HER2, B7H3 | Luciferase, eGFP | |
| Daudi | Burkitt's Lymphoma | EBV-positive B lymphoblast Lacking MHC class I on cell surface Subcutaneous and disseminated models Metastases in lungs, kidneys, spleen, bone marrow | Cytotoxicity Cancer Immunology CAR-T/NK killing assays Antigen presentation | CD20, CD22, CD19, BCMA, GPRC5D,CD38 | Luciferase, eGFP | |
| HT1080 | Fibrosarcoma | Highly invasive Expressing high levels MMPs Subcutaneous and disseminated models Metastases in lung, liver, and brain | Drug screens Tumor metastases | EGFR, B7H3 | Luciferase, eGFP, iRFP | |
| K562 | Chronic myelogenous leukemia | Highly undifferentiated Lack expression of many immunologically relevant molecules Subcutaneous and disseminated models Metastases primarily in spleen and bone marrow | Cancer Immunology CAR-T/NK killing assays Immunotherapies Tumor-associated antigens | Low GPRC5D | Luciferase, eGFP | CD19+, CD20+, BCMA+ |
| Nalm6 | Acute lymphoblastic leukemia | Highly characterized Gold standard for CD19 studies Subcutaneous and disseminated models Metastases in bone marrow, liver, spleen, lymph nodes | Cancer Immunology Immunotherapies CAR-T/NK killing assays Cytotoxicity Drug screening | CD19, low-CD22, very-low CD20, CD38 | Luciferase, eGFP | CD19-KO, CD19 (low), CD20+, CD20+/CD19-KO |
| PC3 | Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma | Highly aggressive Poorly differentiated Lacks androgen receptors and PSA Primarily used in subcutaneous models but can metastasize | Tumor metastases Hormone-resistance | B7H3, EGFR, HER2 | Luciferase, eGFP | |
| Raji | Burkitt's Lymphoma | Reproducible response to immune-mediated killing High expression of B-lymphocyte surface antigens Subcutaneous and disseminated models Metastases in liver, spleen, lungs, bone marrow | Cancer Immunology CAR-T/NK killing assays ADCC assays | CD19, CD20, CD22 | Luciferase, eGFP | CD19-KO |
| RPMI-8226 | Multiple myeloma | Slow growing Mature phenotype (terminal B-cell differentiation) Secretes lambda-type light chains Subcutaneous and disseminated models Metastases in lung, liver, bone marrow | Immunotherapies Drug resistance | BCMA, very-low CD20, CD38, GPRC5D | Luciferase, eGFP | |
| U266B1 | Multiple myeloma | Slow growing Expresses plasma cell-associated antigens Subcutaneous and disseminated models Metastases in primarily in bone marrow | Immunotherapies Multiple myeloma Cancer Immunology | BCMA, CD38 | Luciferase, eGFP | BCMA -KO, BCMA (low) |
*KO = knock-out; low = low-level of expression that is reduced compared to endogenous levels or lower than engineered “high” variants; + = overexpressing.
Ready to find the right model? Browse our catalog and put the right cell line to work for your research.
