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Tumor Analysis (La Jolla)

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Tumor Analysis Service Leadership

Robert Oshima, Ph.D.
Scientific Director

Contact the Service

Please call (858)646-3100 ext. 3147 or use the button below to send us an email.

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Overview

The Tumor Analysis Service of the Animal Facility in La Jolla provides experienced, dedicated expertise in analyzing animal models of human cancer and other diseases. It provides investigators access to a wide variety of human cancer cell lines for xenograft studies, some primary human xenograft models and additional transgenic mouse solid tumors and leukemia models. Solid tumors are typically initiated by subcutaneous or orthotopic transplantation of cultured cells, frozen viable tumors or fresh transplanted tumor tissue. Experimental compounds or other host manipulations are administered and tumor size, metastases, histopathology and blood chemistry are evaluated.

The service serves as a resource of materials, expert advice and practical training. One advantage of this service for investigators will be the competent performance of sophisticated in vivo tumor analysis rapidly before the necessary analytical and surgical techniques are perfected within the investigator’s laboratory.

Services

Formulation advice

For some compounds, we can provide advice and experience with formulation so it can be administered in a biologically active form. Additional advice can be obtained from Exploratory Pharmacology Service in Lake Nona.

Maximum tolerated dose

We can perform standard protocols for determining the maximum tolerated dose in mice. This can also provide tissue and blood for determination of compound availability.

Analysis of human tumors in immune deficient mice

Our initial services include xenograft studies in immune compromised mice using imaging and clinical chemistry instruments. We provide expertise in the use of current human tumor cell line models and will extend to you the options of using new and/or improved models as they become available.

Tumors may be initiated from cell cultures, frozen viable tumors or live tumor bearing animals if available.

Analysis of mouse tumors in immune competent hosts

We will soon be offering the use of several mouse tumors. These will be tumors frozen as viable tissue. Transplantation of cohorts of mice with tumor tissue or cells will result in the development of groups of animals with similar sized tumors for drug treatment. We will offer tumors from MMTV-PyMT and MMTV-Wnt1 mammary tumors. The advantage of these is normal microenvironment that includes a competent immune system.

Final reports

A written summary of the experiment is provided including all primary data, secondary graphs, fixed and frozen tissues.

Tumor and cell line resource

Human tumor cells engineered to express high levels of luciferase are available through the Animal Imaging Service. Additional human and mouse tumor lines are available through Tumor Analysis. Many of these are part of the NCI 60 collection of human tumors.

Technical training in animal tumor methods

Training in methods of compound administration include intraperitoneal injection, intravenous injection, oral gavage, and surgical methods of implantation or injection of tumor cells. The Animal Facility also provides training in some of these methods.