Establishment of imageable model of T-cell lymphoma growing in syngenic mice

Cancer research is focused on processes which influence in vivo tumor growth dynamics, tumor microenvironment and antitumor immune responses. Recently, it was documented that some cytostatics, including their polymeric derivatives, were able to trigger an anticancer immune response. Such interactions are studied mainly in vitro but relevant in vivo studies are necessary and were only recently started. Whole-body imaging of fluorescently labeled tumors, which enables visualization of the whole-body down to single cell-cell interactions, is therefore a promising tool in understanding these processes.

EL-4 T-cell lymphoma cells were transfected with plasmid containing either fusion construct of enhanced green fluorecent protein (EGFP) with H2B histone or pure EGFP gene under cytomegalovirus promotor and resistance to neomycin. Stability of expression was determined by flow cytometry and cellular localization of green fluorescence signal was tested using fluorescent microscopy. An in vivo whole-body imaging system was used to evaluate growth in vivo.

EL-4 cells were successfully transfected and established stable transfectants with a proliferation rate comparable to that of wild-type EL-4. Clone 12, with very strong whole-cell expression, enables tracking of metastatic spreading, whereas clone 3, with EGFP within the cell nucleus, allows frozen section analysis and observing of interaction with immunocompetent cells.

Established imageable EL-4-EGFP(+) cell lines are a magnificent tool for the study of tumor growth and the tumor microenvironment.