Rapid, novel mouse model of gastric cancer with metastasis 

Technology Overview:

University of Pennsylvania investigators developed a model of mixed type gastric cancer results from combinatorial conditional loss of the Cdh1 (E-cadherin), and p53 genes, and acquisition of expression of oncogenic Kras in gastric parietal cells. Mice exhibit significant disease related morbidity at a median of 77 days of age. Upon gross examination at necropsy 100% of mice present with enlarged, thickened, and whitened stomachs (linea plastic), epigastric lymph node metastases (100%) and mediastinal lymph node metastases (50%).

Upon microscopic evaluation the primary tumors were characterized as mixed type gastric cancer containing >25% diffuse type cells. Microscopic observation confirmed the metastatic lesions through the use of the conditional YFP reporter allele (also present in the model) and further identified lung metastases in 100% of mice and liver metastases in 20% of mice.

Inventor: 

Sandra Ryeom Ph.D., Department of Cancer Biology

Advantages:

• Rapid model of gastric cancer
• 100% penetrance
• Easy to follow disease progression using mouse weight
• Metastasis development that recapitulates progression of human cancer
• Metastasis development in 100% of mice
• Conditional expression of YFP reporter in tumor tissue for tracking of metastatic phenotype
• Robust signal to noise and great potential for improving gene/cell immunotherapy.

Applications:

• Drug screening
• Drug validation
• Metastasis Studies
• Microbiome Studies

 Docket # 16-7648