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Updated: Jul 19, 2026
A Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Orthotopic Syngeneic Murine Model of Androgen-dependent and Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer
Published on: March 6, 2018
Quantitative assessment of small intraosseous prostate cancer burden in SCID mice using fluorescence imaging
Hamilto Yamamoto1, R Daniel Bonfil, Christoph Wiesner
1Department of Urology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Background:
Experimental bone metastases are typically analyzed when the skeletal tumor burden is large enough to be detected by imaging or histology. By this time, the bone microenvironment is usually destroyed, preventing useful analysis of tumor-bone interactions.
Methods:
Small intraosseous tumors generated by intratibial injection of C4-2B prostate cancer cells transfected with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were assessed using in vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging, radiography, histology, and fluorometric analysis of bone lysates.
Results:
Ex vivo fluorescence imaging and fluorometric analysis were capable of detecting tiny bone tumors as early as 10 days after injection. Ex vivo fluorescence imaging allowed simple quantification of small skeletal tumor burden and was useful in measuring the effect of systemic therapy.
Conclusions:
Ex vivo fluorescence imaging is a sensitive and easy method to quantify small skeletal tumor burden. This technique allows investigation of tumor-bone interactions while the bone microanatomy is still intact.
Insights
Ex vivo fluorescence imaging detects tiny bone tumors early, enabling quantification of tumor burden and assessment of therapy effects while preserving the bone microenvironment for interaction studies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Skeletal Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Experimental bone metastases are typically studied at late stages when tumor burden is high.
- Advanced tumor growth often leads to destruction of the bone microenvironment, hindering analysis of tumor-bone interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a sensitive method for early detection and quantification of small intraosseous tumors.
- To enable the study of tumor-bone interactions in an intact bone microenvironment.
Main Methods:
- Intratibial injection of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transfected C4-2B prostate cancer cells in a mouse model.
- Assessment using in vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging, radiography, histology, and fluorometric analysis.
Main Results:
- Ex vivo fluorescence imaging and fluorometric analysis detected small bone tumors as early as 10 days post-injection.
- Ex vivo fluorescence imaging provided simple quantification of small skeletal tumor burden and evaluated systemic therapy efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Ex vivo fluorescence imaging is a sensitive and straightforward method for quantifying small skeletal tumor burden.
- This technique facilitates the investigation of tumor-bone interactions with intact bone microanatomy.
