Development of an in vivo system to model breast cancer metastatic organotropism and evaluate treatment response using the chick embryo

Sumreen Javed; Sepideh Soukhtehzari; Nikki Salmond; Nazarine Fernandes; Karla C Williams

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.106305

Development of an in vivo system to model breast cancer metastatic organotropism and evaluate treatment response using the chick embryo

iScience. 2023 Feb 28;26(4):106305. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106305. eCollection 2023 Apr 21.

Authors

Sumreen Javed¹, Sepideh Soukhtehzari¹, Nikki Salmond¹, Nazarine Fernandes¹, Karla C Williams¹

Affiliation

¹ Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Abstract

Metastatic lesions produced through the process of systemic tumor cell dissemination and growth at distant sites are challenging to treat and the primary cause of patient mortality. Developing in vivo models of metastasis with utility in evaluating molecular targets and therapeutics in a timely manner would expedite the path to therapeutic discovery. Here, we evaluated breast cancer metastasis and metastatic organotropism using the chick embryo. We developed a method to evaluate metastasis using the MDA231 cell line. Then, using cell lines with demonstrated tropism for the bone, brain, and lung, we evaluated organotropism. Rapid and robust organ-specific metastasis was modeled in the chick embryo and, importantly, recapitulated metastatic organotropism congruent to what has been demonstrated in mice. Treatment response in the metastatic setting was also evaluated and quantified. This work establishes the chick embryo as a model for studies aimed at understanding organotropism and therapeutic response in the metastatic setting.

Keywords: Biological sciences research methodologies; Cancer.