A Minimally Invasive Method for Generating a Syngeneic Orthotopic Mouse Model of Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to be the number one cause of cancer-related death for both women and men worldwide. More information needs to be gathered to understand the interactions between cancer cells, the immune system, the microenvironment within each tumor, and the host tissue to develop more effective treatment modalities. Reported here is a simple, repeatable method for inducing cancer within the mouse lung, allowing for the monitoring of tumor growth from early to late-stage disease. The surgical procedure involves a small superficial incision in the skin and an injection of cancer cells through the intercostal muscles into the lung. In vivo imaging systems (IVIS) in combination with cells engineered to express luciferase provide a convenient way of evaluating tumor growth and disease progression over the course of a study. This technique is easily transferable across various models of lung cancer and can be used to test the feasibility and efficacy of novel therapeutics in a preclinical model of lung cancer that mimics the natural tumor microenvironment. This broadens the relevance of both efficacy and safety/toxicity studies using standard-of-care treatments, including surgical resection, radiation, and immunotherapies in conjunction with experimental therapeutics.