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Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies
Published on: September 30, 2016
Tumor Growth Suppression and Enhanced Radioresponse by an Exogenous Epidermal Growth Factor in Mouse Xenograft Models
Yu Jin Lim1, Sang-Rok Jeon2, Jae Moon Koh3
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether an exogenous epidermal growth factor (EGF) could induce anti-tumor and radiosensitizing effects in vivo.
Materials And Methods:
BALB/c-nu mice that were inoculated with A431 (human squamous cell carcinoma) cells in the right hind legs were divided into five groups: I (no treatment), II (EGF for 6 days), III (EGF for 20 days), IV (radiotherapy [RT]), and V (RT plus concomitant EGF). EGF was administered intraperitoneally (5 mg/kg) once a day and the RT dose was 30 Gy in six fractions. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained sections of tumor, liver, lung, and kidney tissues were investigated. Additionally, tumors were subjected to immunohistochemistry staining with caspase-3.
Results:
EGF for 6 days decreased tumor volume, but it approached the level of the control group at the end of follow-up (p=0.550). The duration of tumor shrinkage was prolonged in group V while the slope of tumor re-growth phase was steeper in group IV (p=0.034). EGF for 20 days decreased tumor volume until the end of the observation period (p < 0.001). Immunohistochemistry revealed that mice in group V showed stronger intensity than those in group IV. There were no abnormal histological findings upon H&E staining of the normal organs.
Conclusion:
EGF-induced anti-tumor effect was ascertained in the xenograft mouse models with A431 cells. Concomitant use of EGF has the potential role as a radiosensitizer in the design of fractionated irradiation.
