Development of In Vivo Model of Intraocular Retinoblastoma

Here we describe creation of a model of intraocular retinoblastoma on 4 mature immunodeficient BALB/c nude mice of both sexes. A suspension of the primary retinoblastoma culture was injected into each of the 8 eyes of the test animals. The injections were performed under the control of an operating microscope using insulin syringes with a diameter of 29G transsclerally into the subretinal space in a volume of 0.3 ml at a rate of 10,000 cells in 25 μl physiological saline. The culture of Rb10 cells derived from a patient with retinoblastoma passed 12 passages at the time of the experiments. After 9-week follow-up, a clinical (ophthalmoscopy) and instrumental (ultrasound) study was performed with visualization of the tumor mass on the fundus. After enucleation, a morphological study was performed. The retinoblastoma tumor nodes were identified in two eyes. The proposed model can be used for further research and for testing new chemotherapeutic drugs and treatment regimens for retinoblastoma.