Exploring orthotopic glioblastoma models to treat tumors and strengthen immune responses in the brain

Glioblastoma (GBM) patients are known to have a poor prognosis and tumor progression with high mortality and a median survival of only 12-15 months. Currently, anti-GBM therapy includes a multi-modality method involving radiotherapies and surgical removal of the tumor in combination with chemotherapy.1

Plate-based 3D culture assays that mimic the tumor microenvironment and predict in vivo responses

2D in vitro assays do not reflect the tumor architecture and environment found in vivo, resulting in differences in the outcomes and pharmacological potencies of test agents being screened when comparing 2D in vitro versus in vivo models.

The nCounter® IO 360™ panel and flow cytometry combine transcriptome and immune subset immunophenotypic profiles to offer comprehensive analysis of tumor immunotherapy

Transcriptomic profiling can be used to examine the interaction between the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the immune system and is a powerful tool to investigate the mechanistic action of immunotherapies. In this Tech Spotlight, we demonstrate how gene expression measured in solid tumors using the nCounter® PanCancer IO 360™ panel (NanoString Technologies) can be combined with flow cytometry to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the effects that immunotherapy has on the anti-tumor immune response.

Raising the Bar in Preclinical Oncology

New oncology drugs only have a 3.4% success rate once making it from Phase I clinical trials to FDA approval. This is the lowest success rate among the 21 major disease indications.1 This poor success rate leaves everyone, from the patients to the benchtop scientists, questioning the validity of the models and the resulting data. This is nothing new in the world of cancer research; we are all attempting to treat a disease that has the ability to fool its host and adapt to survive.

RM-1: A Syngeneic Murine Prostate Gland Carcinoma Model

Most prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas that develop from the gland cells that produce seminal fluid. The American Cancer Society's estimates are about 248,530 new cases in the United States for 2021, resulting in approximately 34,130 deaths.1 About 1 man in 8 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime and 1 in 41 will die of it. 1 Globally, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, behind lung cancer.1 Fortunately, prostate cancer, when detected and treated early, has a nearly 100% estimated five-year survival rate for U.S. patients.2 Depending on the tumor stage, treatments can include active surveillance prostatectomy, beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy and treatments aimed at bone metastases in Stage IV cancers. To develop novel therapeutics, as monotherapies or in combination with clinical standards of care, testing in the most appropriate preclinical tumor model is key.

Labcorp Drug Development Preclinical Oncology biosafety level 2 capabilities and ongoing expansion

Viruses and bacteria have a bad reputation. As we continue to deal with a global pandemic caused by a virus, there is heightened awareness to the potential negative impact of viruses. However, it is also true that both viruses and bacteria are powerful tools in treating many diseases. Their ability to infect quickly, along with their rapid dividing potential, also makes them a great asset to the research community. Since the early 20th century, viruses, bacteria and other biosafety level 2 (BSL2) materials have been recognized as potential treatments for various cancers. More concerted efforts have been put forth in recent years to research these materials. There are currently two BSL2 materials approved by the FDA for use: T-VEC (Imlygic®), an oncolytic virus (OV) therapy against advanced melanoma, and bacillus Calmette-Guérin, a bacterial therapy against non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Bioluminescence imaging: In vivo monitoring of tumor development, disease dissemination and treatment efficacy

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is a non-invasive optical imaging modality designed to visualize and quantify bioluminescent signal in tissues.1 BLI is based on the detection of visible light produced during enzyme-mediated oxidation of a substrate when the enzyme is expressed in vivo as a molecular reporter.

EMT6-Luc: In vivo monitoring of metastatic development and treatment efficacy

Successful treatment of breast cancer by immunotherapy continues to be a challenge, but emerging clinical data is encouraging.3   To help enable preclinical research of immunotherapy in breast cancer, we have developed the orthotopic EMT6 syngeneic breast tumor model in 2018.

CT26-Luc: An orthotopic murine model of colon cancer: implications for immuno-oncology studies

The advent of therapies harnessing the intrinsic anti-tumor activity of the immune system against cancer represents a paradigm shift in oncology therapeutics that has permanently changed the future of how we fight cancer.

Pan02-Luc: An orthotopic model of pancreatic cancer

With the development of increasingly complex immunotherapies, biotech/pharma companies are now looking for more relevant and accurate preclinical tumor models to predict precise drug responses.