Development of in vivo Cancer Models

Mouse models of cancer serve as essential research tools in understanding the complexity of cancer biology and evaluating potential therapeutic interventions. While our laboratory uses many different cancer cell lines, de novo cancer require the use of genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs). These GEMMs involve the manipulation of specific genes associated with cancer development, such as tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes, to mimic human cancer gene expression, mutations, and deletions. These models allow researchers to study the initiation and progression of cancer in a controlled environment. Critically, these models allow us to assess the development and metastases of cancers in an immune competent context, which is essential for our studies of tumor immunology. Additionally, cancers from these mice can be used to generate novel mouse-derived syngeneic cancer cells that cancer be used in immunocompetent mice, enabling researchers to investigate interactions between the immune system and cancer cells. These different models offer unique advantages and limitations, providing our lab with different platforms that can be used to address research questions.

Our laboratory is interested in the development of novel models of cancer that are reflective of human disease, with our current efforts focusing on the development of different models for breast, prostate, pancreatic, and lung cancers. Additionally, we are exploring the impact of immune tolerance against different antigens, developing models that allow for the use of xenoantigens and to assess different types of tissue-restrictive immune tolerance.