Bioluminescent Orthotopic Pancreatic Cancer Mouse Model: A Non-invasive Technique to Monitor Cancer Progression in Mice

- Bioluminescence imaging allows the non-invasive tracking of cancer cells to study their distribution within animal tumor models. To generate a mouse model, take an anesthetized mouse and sterilize its abdominal area. Make a surgical incision to locate the spleen. Draw it out from the abdominal cavity and expose the underlying pancreas.

Next, inject a chilled suspension of transduced pancreatic cancer cells mixed in a suitable hydrogel matrix into the mouse's pancreas. These genetically modified cells express luciferase enzymes. Hold the syringe in place to allow the cell-matrix suspension to solidify, minimizing leakage.

Place the organs back in the abdominal cavity and suture the incision. Allow the mouse to recover. Once the tumor develops, anesthetize the mouse and inject a bioluminescent substrate solution into its tail vein. Allow the molecules to reach the tumor site containing luciferase-expressing cells.

Within the cells, luciferase enzymes catalyze the oxidation of substrate molecules, resulting in light emission. Place the mouse in a bioluminescent imaging chamber to capture images of the tumor to study tumor growth dynamics. In the following protocol, we will show the