Practical use of advanced mouse models for lung cancer

To date a variety of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) mouse models have been developed that mimic human lung cancer. Chemically induced or spontaneous lung cancer in susceptible inbred strains has been widely used, but the more recent genetically engineered somatic mouse models recapitulate much better the genotype-phenotype correlations found in human lung cancer. Additionally, improved orthotopic transplantation of primary human cancer tissue fragments or cells into lungs of immune-compromised mice can be valuable tools for preclinical research such as antitumor drug tests. Here we give a short overview of most somatic mouse models for lung cancer that are currently in use. We accompany each different model with a description of its practical use and application for all major lung tumor types, as well as the intratracheal injection or direct injection of fresh or freeze-thawed tumor cells or tumor cell lines into lung parenchyma of recipient mice. All here presented somatic mouse models are based on the ability to (in) activate specific alleles at a time, and in a tissue-specific cell type, of choice. This spatial-temporal controlled induction of genetic lesions allows the selective introduction of main genetic lesions in an adult mouse lung as found in human lung cancer. The resulting conditional somatic mouse models can be used as versatile powerful tools in basic lung cancer research and preclinical translational studies alike. These distinctively advanced lung cancer models permit us to investigate initiation (cell of origin) and progression of lung cancer, along with response and resistance to drug therapy. Cre/lox or FLP/frt recombinase-mediated methods are now well-used techniques to develop tissue-restricted lung cancer in mice with tumor-suppressor gene and/or oncogene (in)activation. Intranasal or intratracheal administration of engineered adenovirus-Cre or lentivirus-Cre has been optimized for introducing Cre recombinase activity into pulmonary tissues, and we discuss here the different techniques underlying these applications. Concomitant with Cre/Flp recombinase-based models are the tetracycline (Tet)-inducible bitransgenic systems in which presence or absence of doxycycline can turn the expression of a specific oncogene on or off. The use of several Tet-inducible lung cancer models for NSCLC is presented here in which the reversal of oncogene expression led to complete tumor regression and provided us with important insight of how oncogene dependence influence lung cancer survival and growth. As alternative to Tet-inducible models, we discuss the application of reversible expressed, transgenic mutant estrogen receptor (ER) fusion proteins, which are regulated via systemic tamoxifen administration. Most of the various lung cancer models can be combined through the generation of transgenic compound mice so that the use of these somatic mouse models can be even more enhanced for the study of specific molecular pathways that facilitate growth and maintenance of lung cancer. Finally, this description of the practical application and methodology of mouse models for lung cancer should be helpful in assisting researchers to make the best choices and optimal use of (existing) somatic models that suits the specific experimental needs in their study of lung cancer.