Ultrasound-Guided Implantation: A Technique to Implant Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells into an Adult Mouse

- Ultrasound provides high-resolution images that help implant cancer cells in a specific tissue site with minimal inflammation during tumor cell injection. Primarily, we use orthotopic models to graft tumor cells into a relevant organ of tumor origin. The organ mimics the original tumor microenvironment and facilitates metastasis.

Begin by suspending the tumor cells in cold PBS to maintain pH and place the tube on ice. Next, place the anesthetic mouse on the ultrasound stage and secure the limbs with lab tape. Apply the required amount of ultrasound gel on the shaved abdomen and adjust the ultrasound probe position until the pancreas is clearly visible. Load the syringe with tumor cell suspension and carefully inject the cells into the pancreas.

A fluid bubble appears in the ultrasound image, confirming successful implantation. Wait for 5 seconds to prevent the backflow of cells and gently remove the needle. Return the animal to a clean cage and monitor until it recovers from anesthesia. Within a few weeks of injection, the injected cancer cells in the pancreas divide rapidly and form a tumor. In the following protocol, we will perform ultrasound-guided implantation of murine-deri