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Updated: Jan 15, 2026
A Minimally Invasive Method for Generating a Syngeneic Orthotopic Mouse Model of Lung Cancer
Published on: August 19, 2025
A Syngenic Mouse Model of Breast Cancer Expressing Human ERBB2 and NanoLuc Luciferase Genes
E I Shramova1,2, S M Deyev3,4,5, G M Proshkina3
1Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. shramova.ei@gmail.com.
Abstract:
Syngeneic models are widely used in experimental oncology both for modeling tumor diseases and for testing anticancer drugs. However, when testing targeted drugs aimed at human tumor-associated antigens, the presence of target antigens in the animal's body is important. In this study, a syngeneic cell line with stable expression of two genes-the ERBB2 gene encoding human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) and the NanoLuc luciferase gene-was created based on murine mammary gland carcinoma. Optical bioimaging methods have proven that the created cell line is characterized by stable expression of ERBB2 and NanoLuc in vitro and in vivo, retains the aggressive growth of the original 4T1 cell line in animals, and forms spontaneous metastases that are detected in the animal's body by intravital biovisualization methods.
Insights
This study created a novel syngeneic cell line for cancer research. The engineered cell line stably expresses human HER2 and NanoLuc, enabling better tracking of tumor growth and metastasis in vivo.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Syngeneic models are crucial for preclinical cancer research and drug testing.
- Targeted therapy development requires models expressing specific human tumor antigens.
- Existing models may not adequately represent human cancer targets for drug evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a syngeneic cell line for preclinical oncology research.
- To engineer a murine mammary carcinoma cell line with stable expression of human HER2 and NanoLuc.
- To validate the utility of this cell line for in vitro and in vivo studies.
Main Methods:
- Gene engineering of a murine mammary gland carcinoma cell line (4T1).
- Stable transfection with ERBB2 (HER2) and NanoLuc luciferase genes.
- In vitro and in vivo characterization using optical bioimaging and intravital biovisualization.
Main Results:
- Successfully created a syngeneic cell line with stable ERBB2 and NanoLuc expression.
- Confirmed stable expression in both in vitro and in vivo settings.
- Demonstrated aggressive tumor growth and spontaneous metastasis formation, detectable by biovisualization.
Conclusions:
- The developed syngeneic cell line is a valuable tool for preclinical oncology.
- It enables effective in vivo tracking of tumor progression and metastasis.
- This model is suitable for evaluating targeted therapies against HER2-expressing tumors.
