DMBA-TPA-induced skin cancer is one of the most commonly used cancer models because it is highly reproducible and provides information on tumor progression from initiation to malignancy. The key outcome measure, papilloma formation, is easily and reliably quantitative. The model addresses both tumor initiation (tumor-free survival) and progression (tumor numbers and sizes) simultaneously. The model is suitable for studying different compounds, such as potential therapeutics, and the effects of individual genes on tumor progression in genetically modified animals. When applying the model for any given strain, it is advisable to study the existing literature to achieve an idea of how the strain reacts in the model (e.g., to find out how quickly the first papillomas will appear). When using genetically modified mice, the use of wild type littermates is always recommended. The use of potential additional controls, such as replacing either DMBA or TPA or both by acetone, is highly debatable, because it is known that removing either DMBA or TPA or inverting their administration order is highly unlikely to result in the induction of papilloma growth34. When it is essential to study tumor initiation (i.e., by administration of DMBA alone), it can be achieved by sacrificing the animals after the DMBA dose. When studying the effect of an individual gene in a transgenic or knockout setting, it is recommended to take samples from untreated animals to detect possible differences that might exist before tumor formation between genetically engineered and wild type strains30,31.
Although the DMBA-TPA model is relatively simple to conduct technically, accurate timing is essential for success. The application of DMBA and the regular application of TPA are both crucial for the tumor development34. A careful weekly examination of the papillomas is essential to gather all data. It needs to be noted that certain treatments or genetic backgrounds may cause papillomas to grow and later shrink or even vanish30. Sometimes, other noncancerous lesions and SCCs arise. In this case, histological examination of the lesion is recommended. Another critical step is to ensure that TPA is the only tumor promotor. Skin trauma induces the production of cytokines that may affect tumor promotion2,34. Thus, the iatrogenic wounding of the skin during shaving needs to be avoided, and aggressive, fighting mice must be housed separately. In addition to fighting, other aspects of animal welfare are also important. Weight loss, dull and tangled fur, and apathetic behavior are signs of discomfort. The discomfort is not only an ethical issue, because negative energy balance inhibits the tumor growth34.
The DMBA-TPA model provides an opportunity for many modifications. Because some strains are known to be more sensitive than others, a careful selection enables scheduling the experiment and adjusting the amount and frequency of TPA application18,35. The model is mainly used for developing skin tumors, but local application to the gastrointestinal tract is an option36. In addition, a modified version of the model has been used to study tumor development in the trachea37. Because the tumor development can be regulated with DMBA and TPA applications, the model enables studying the outcomes after modifying environmental aspects such as diet and circadian rhythm38. By separating tumor initiation (DMBA) and promotion (TPA), the model enables studying those two processes independently. For instance, sacrificing the mice after the DMBA treatment permits studying the mechanism of the treatment or the effect of a gene of interest in tumor initiation2,34. To study the early events in the tumor initiation and promotion, animals can be sacrificed at an early time point. For example, samples can be collected shortly after the second TPA administration (for example 3 h, 12 h, 36 h, or 48 h after)30,31. It is also worth noting that the classical DMBA-TPA two-stage carcinogenesis model can be modified by using different chemicals or by using the "third" chemical. These are reviewed by Abel et al2.
The DMBA-TPA model has been used for decades for different purposes34. It has been used for studying the effects of different therapeutics24,25,26 and genes31,32,39,40 but also for studying nutrition27, the circadian rhythm38, and the development of diagnostic tools41. As the tumors form from the skin, the model provides a unique opportunity to collect tumor tissue samples at different stages of the progression21. When introducing new chemopreventive agents or immunomodulators, it is advisable to first gather data on how the strain has reacted in the DMBA-TPA model in previous studies. If not available, a prestudy without the potential therapeutic agent is recommended to determine the timing and number of papillomas as well as the variance in these parameters. Existing data from published studies may also help to determine the dosage of the tested compound24,27, but if unavailable, using a serial dilution of the tested compound enables evaluating the dose response of the agent studied25,26.
Inflammation is essential for human tumorigenesis, as it is involved in all phases of tumor progression: the initiation, the promotion, and the conversion to malignancy42,43. The chemically induced skin carcinogenesis model is an inflammation-driven carcinogenesis model. Pro-inflammatory cytokine response and the infiltration of inflammatory cells to the treated skin are already evident in the early phase of the model. The first infiltrating cells are neutrophils, followed by accumulation of macrophages, T cells, etc.30,31. These cells create an inflammatory microenvironment in the skin, and a cross talk between inflammatory and epidermal cells is initiated, leading to the production of cytokines, chemokines, and prostaglandins that drive the tumor initiation and growth locally. As the DMBA-TPA model is an inflammation-driven model, it does not include some other aspects of clinical cancer. Although it is known that the SCCs eventually may cause metastasis in the DMBA-TPA model, only a small portion of papillomas develop into SCCs2,23. Consequently, metastasis is a rare feature in the DMBA-TPA model, although some sensitive outbred stocks such as CD-1 or SENCAR may have an increased likelihood of developing metastasis44. The appearance of SCC is often considered an animal welfare issue and thus an endpoint criterium. Therefore, despite the existence of metastasis in the model, some other models such as transplantation or genetically engineered models are more suitable for studying metastasis45. Another limitation of the model is that it requires a surface to apply the chemicals. Thus, studying cancer progression in a specific internal organ is out of the scope of the model.
Another common skin cancer model is the UV radiation model46. The model is comparable to the DMBA-TPA model because neither of these two models needs cell transplantation or genetic modification to cause cancer. The fundamental difference between the models is that the UV radiation model induces aggressive SSC formation, whereas the tumor outcome in the DMBA-TPA model is generally benign papillomas. If UV radiation is combined with the application of chemical carcinogens or in mouse strains with a genetic background that makes the strain susceptible for cancer development, even melanoma formation can take place. The most common mutations in the UV radiation model inactivate the p53 gene, a crucial tumor suppressor gene in humans46, whereas the most common mutations in the DMBA-TPA model activate the Hras-gene23. The UV radiation causes also immunosuppression46,47, which may be a confounding factor when studying the aspects of the immune system. However, these two models also work in combination. UV radiation can be used as a promoting agent with DMBA or as an initiating agent with TPA46.
A reasonable question is whether the DMBA-TPA model mimics human cancer. A small proportion of papillomas develop to SCCs. Nevertheless, the premalignant stage of human SCC is actinic keratosis, and it differs from the papilloma formation seen in the model. Still, papilloma formation similar to the model is detected in human individuals treated for melanoma with vemurafenib. This suggests that the Hras-mutated stem cells that are essential for carcinogenesis in the DMBA-TPA model also exist on human skin34. Furthermore, it is reported that the uptake of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) papillomas and microinvasive SCCs is higher than in the surrounding skin but not as high as in a fully invasive SCC, reflecting the similarity of the premalignant stages41. If using the DMBA-TPA model for toxicity evaluation, one must remember that the repetition of exposure has a great effect on tumor promotion34. At least some of the molecular mechanisms are common to the model and human skin.