Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 3, 2026
An Orthotopic Bladder Tumor Model and the Evaluation of Intravesical saRNA Treatment
Published on: July 28, 2012
Use of green fluorescent protein to measure tumor growth in an implanted bladder tumor model
Suzy V Torti1, Meg Golden-Fleet, Mark C Willingham
1Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Purpose:
Bladder cancer is a common malignancy in which local recurrence and distant failure contribute to poor patient outcome. The search for improved therapies remains a high priority in this disease. For most experimental therapies animal tumor models represent an important step between in vitro testing and clinical trials. A useful animal model of bladder cancer involves the orthotopic implantation of bladder tumor cells in sygeneic animals. This model offers the opportunity to test the efficacy of therapies administered systemically or intravesically. However, quantitation of tumor growth has been difficult.
Materials And Methods:
To allow the quantitative assessment of tumor mass in this model and differentiate tumor cells from normal bladder epithelium at early stages of tumor growth we transfected cells of the MBT2 murine bladder cancer cell line with a vector encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein and devised an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that enables the detection of green fluorescent protein in cells at the pg. level.
Results:
Using this assay tumor growth can be detected 7 days after implantation and by 14 days levels of green fluorescent protein are more than 500-fold greater than in controls.
Conclusions:
Combined with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay use of this MBT2 green fluorescent protein transfectant allows tumor cell growth to be monitored with sensitivity and reproducibility. It reduces the time required to measure effects on tumor growth to 2 weeks, while preserving the advantages of this orthotopic tumor model.
Insights
Researchers developed a new method to track bladder cancer growth in animal models. This technique uses a fluorescent protein and an assay to quantify tumor mass, improving early detection and therapeutic assessment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biotechnology
- Animal Models
Background:
- Bladder cancer recurrence and metastasis significantly impact patient prognosis.
- Developing effective therapies for bladder cancer is a critical research area.
- Orthotopic animal models are essential for preclinical evaluation of novel bladder cancer treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a quantitative method for assessing tumor burden in an orthotopic murine bladder cancer model.
- To enable early detection and differentiation of tumor cells from normal bladder tissue.
- To facilitate the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy in preclinical bladder cancer research.
Main Methods:
- Transfection of MBT2 murine bladder cancer cells with a vector encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP).
- Development of a highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting eGFP at the picogram level.
- Utilizing the eGFP-ELISA assay for quantitative assessment of tumor mass in vivo.
Main Results:
- Tumor growth was detectable as early as 7 days post-implantation.
- eGFP levels in tumor-bearing bladders were over 500-fold higher than in control bladders by day 14.
- The assay demonstrated high sensitivity and reproducibility in monitoring tumor progression.
Conclusions:
- The MBT2 eGFP transfectant combined with the ELISA provides a sensitive and reproducible method for monitoring bladder cancer cell growth.
- This approach significantly reduces the time needed to assess treatment effects on tumor growth to two weeks.
- The method preserves the advantages of the orthotopic tumor model for preclinical bladder cancer therapy testing.
