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Imaging TGFβ Signaling in Mouse Models of Cancer Metastasis

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TGF-β Signaling

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1344))

Abstract

Metastatic spread of cancer cells from the primary tumors to distant vital organs, such as lung, liver, brain, and bone, is responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths. Development of metastatic lesions is critically dependent on the interaction of tumor cells with the stromal microenvironment. As a multifunctional paracrine signaling factor that is abundantly produced by both tumor and stromal cells, TGFβ has been well established as an important mediator of tumor–stromal interaction during cancer metastasis. Imaging the in vivo dynamic of TGFβ signaling activity during cancer metastasis is critical for understanding the pathogenesis of the disease, and for the development of effective anti-metastasis treatments. In this chapter, I describe several xenograft methods to introduce human breast cancer cells into nude mice in order to generate spontaneous and experimental metastases, as well as the luciferase-based bioluminescence imaging method for quantitative imaging analysis of TGFβ signaling in tumor cells during metastasis.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology, Lewis Thomas Laboratory 255, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA

    Yibin Kang Ph.D.

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  1. Yibin Kang Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Yibin Kang Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Surgery and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

    Xin-Hua Feng

  2. Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Proviince, China

    Pinglong Xu

  3. Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

    Xia Lin

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Kang, Y. (2016). Imaging TGFβ Signaling in Mouse Models of Cancer Metastasis. In: Feng, XH., Xu, P., Lin, X. (eds) TGF-β Signaling. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1344. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2966-5_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2966-5_13

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2965-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2966-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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