Green fluorescent protein expression and visualization of mediastinal lymph node metastasis of human lung cancer cell line using orthotopic implantation.

Background: Suppression of lymphatic metastasis improves survival in lung cancer patients. We have reported a patient-like model of lung cancer metastasis based on orthotopic implantation in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice and demonstrated the lymphogenous spread histologically using human NSCLC cell lines.

Materials And Methods: To visualize micrometastases, we transfected the Aequorea Victoria jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene to the cancer cell line.

Results: The tumor cell lines were able to stably express GFP at high levels both in vitro and in vivo. Fluorescent tumors and metastasis of the mediastinum could be visualized at microscopic levels after transplantation.

Conclusion: This model demonstrated that GFP gene-transfected tumor cells represent a new tool for evaluating the metastatic process and are very useful for developing chemotherapy to inhibit metastasis.