We would like to thank Dr. Geoffrey L. Greene (University of Chicago) for the Luc2-tdTomato plasmid and the HCT116 cell line, Mr. Ani Solanki (Animal Resource Center) for the mice management, and Dr. Lara Leoni for the assistance with the DLIT. Quantifications of fluorescent and luminescent intensities were performed in the Integrated Small Animal Imaging Research Resource at the University of Chicago on an IVIS Spectrum (PerkinElmer, Hopkinton, MA). This work was supported by the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF), the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), and the Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA014599). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

All animal procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at the University of Chicago (Protocol # 72213-09) and performed under sterile conditions.
1. Preparations
<ol>
	<li>Make 500 mL of medium for the culture of HCT116 tumor cells: Dulbecco&#39;s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS), 100 U/mL penicillin, and 100 mg/mL streptomycin.</li>
	<li>Autoclave the instruments to be used for the spleen injection model, including 3 - 4 surgical towels, gauze, two small Adson pickups, a needle driver, two pairs of scissors, a small clamp, and 3 microclips, at 251 &#176;F for 20 min.</li>
	<li>Prepare postoperative anesthesia for the mice, to be administered subcutaneously following the spleen injection. Dilute 2 - 4 &#181;g of buprenorphine in 500 &#181;L of 0.9 normal saline per mouse.</li>
	<li>Prepare aliquots of 150 &#181;g/150 &#181;L of firefly luciferin for intraperitoneal injections during the bioluminescence assays. Store at -20 &#176;C and protect&#160;from light.</li>
</ol>
2. Generation of Luciferase/tdTomato-labeled Monoclonal Cell Lines 10,11
<ol>
	<li>Thaw and maintain HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells and 293FT human embryonic kidney cells in DMEM with 10% FBS, 100 U/mL penicillin, and 100 mg/mL streptomycin. Maintain in culture at 5% CO2 and 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Produce a high-titer lentivirus.
	<ol>
		<li>On D 1, plate 10 - 12 x 106 293FT cells between passage 3 and 10 in 15&#160;cm cell culture dishes in 18 mL of complete DMEM (cDMEM) with 10% FBS, 1% penicillin/streptomycin, and 1% nonessential amino acids. Incubate&#160;at 37 &#176;C and 5% CO2.</li>
		<li>On D&#160;2, transfect the cells using the following transfection solution:
		<ol>
			<li>For each dish, use the following: a DNA mixture of 37.5 &#181;g of pFUG lentiviral vector inserted with the luciferase (Luc2) and tdTomato constructs11 (a gift from Dr. Geoffrey Greene at the University of Chicago), 25 &#181;g of pCMV&#916;8.74, and 12.5 &#181;g of pMD2.G resuspended in a total of 1,062 &#181;L of sterile H2O. Add 188 &#181;L of 2 M CaCl2.</li>
			<li>Add 1,250 &#181;L of 2x Hepes-buffered Saline (HBS, 50 mM Hepes, 1.5 mM Na2HPO4, and 180 mM NaCl, pH 7.12) to the DNA/CaCl2 solution, a drop at a time, while blowing bubbles through the solution with a pipette.</li>
			<li>Incubate at RT for 20 min, and then add 15.5 mL of RT cDMEM and chloroquine to make a final concentration of 25 &#181;M.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Aspirate the media in each dish of 293FT cells and replace with the transfection solution. Add 16 mL of the transfection solution slowly, as the plated cells easily dislodge.</li>
		<li>On D 3, after 8 - 16 h, remove the transfection solution and wash the cells once with Dulbecco&#39;s Phosphate-buffered Saline (DPBS), again taking care not to dislodge the cells. Replace the media with 18 mL of fresh cDMEM with 10 mM Hepes. 
		NOTE: Slowly move dishes, aspirate the transfection solution, and add the media through the sidewall of plates so as not to dislodge the cells.</li>
		<li>On D 4, at 48 h from the time of transfection, collect the media from the dishes by aspirating slowly with a pipette so as not to dislodge the cells. Centrifuge the collected media at 300 x g for 5 min to precipitate the large cell debris.</li>
		<li>Filter the viral supernatant using a 0.45&#160;&#181;m low-protein-binding filter flask and centrifuge using a SW-28 rotor for 2 h at 50,000 x g and 4 &#176;C. Decant the supernatant immediately after the centrifugation&#160;finishes and dry the inside of the tube with wipers.</li>
		<li>Resuspend the viral pellet in 50 &#181;L of Reduced Serum Medium (RSM) with 1% FBS. Aliquots can be stored at -80 &#176;C for future use (viral stock).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Transduce the lentiviruses into the HCT116 cells and generate a panel of tdTomato-positive clones.
	<ol>
		<li>Plate the HCT116 cells at a density of 1 x 105 in 24&#160;well plates 1 d before the viral infection.</li>
		<li>Dilute 40 &#181;L of resuspended virus (from 2.2.7) in 4 mL of RSM (1:100 dilution) with 1% penicillin/streptomycin and 8 &#181;g/mL polybrene (cRSM).</li>
		<li>On the day of infection, wash the cells once with DPBS, and then add 250 &#181;L of diluted virus from step 2.3.2 to each well. Incubate for 4 h at 37 &#176;C and 5% CO2, and then add 1 mL of cDMEM to each well; incubate at 37 &#176;C and 5% CO2 for 48 - 72 h.</li>
		<li>Resuspend the cells with 1 mL of 0.05% trypsin and 0.53 mM EDTA, and then add 1 mL of cDMEM to neutralize the trypsin. Transfer the cells to a microcentrifuge tube and pellet at 300 x g for 4 min. Wash the pellet 3x&#160;in 1 mL of Hanks&#39; Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) plus 2% FBS.</li>
		<li>Resuspend the pellet from step 2.3.4 with FACS buffer (2% FBCS and 2 mM EDTA in PBS) into a single-cell suspension at 1 x 106 cells/mL.</li>
		<li>Sort the tdTomato-positive HCT116 cells using a cell sorter, gating for PE-positive cells (excitation/emission: 556/585 nm). Grow the collected cells in a 10-cm dish at 5% CO2 and 37 &#176;C to generate parental tdTomato-positive HCT116 cells (Figure 1A).</li>
		<li>Resuspend the parental tdTomato-positive HCT116 cells from 2.3.6 with 8 mL of 0.05% trypsin and 0.53 mM EDTA for 3 - 5 min, and then add 8 mL of cDMEM to neutralize the trypsin.
		<ol>
			<li>Transfer the cells to a 50&#160;mL tube and pellet at 300 x g for 4 min. Remove the supernatant and dilute the parental tdTomato-positive HCT116 cells to 1 cell per 200 &#181;L in cDMEM (Figure 1B).</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Plate a single cell (200 &#181;L of the dilution) per well in a 96-well plate at 5% CO2 and 37 &#176;C (Figure 1C).</li>
		<li>Grow individual monoclones in flasks at 5% CO2 and 37 &#176;C. (Figure 1D).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
3. Calibration of Fluorescent Signal Intensity as a Function of Cell Number
<ol>
	<li>Plate the transfected HCT116 cells, now referred to as HCT116-L2T, at a density of 0, 103, 2 x 104, 3 x 105, 5 x 104, 7 x 104, 9 x 104, and 105 cells/well in 96&#160;well plates in triplicates for each density.</li>
	<li>After 5 h of incubation, quantify the tdTomato fluorescent intensities using IVIS10.
	<ol>
		<li>Click on the image software icon on the desktop to start the software. Click the &#34;Initialize&#34; button to initialize the imaging system. After initialization finishes (which takes about few min), select &#34;Fluorescence&#34;, &#34;4 second&#34; exposure time, &#34;Medium&#34; binning, &#34;2&#34; F/stop, &#34;535&#34; excitation filter, and &#34;580&#34; emission filter.</li>
		<li>Place the 96&#160;well plate on the imaging station and click on &#34;Acquire&#34; to start imaging. After the image is acquired, click &#34;ROI Tools&#34; in the tool palette and select 12 x 8 from the slit icon.</li>
		<li>Create 12 x 8 slits to cover the area of signal on the image of the 96&#160;well plate and click the measurements tab. Observe a window with a table of ROI measurements with units of photons per s per steradian per square cm (photons/s/sr/cm2).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Construct a scatterplot with the argument (X&#160;axis) equal to the number of cells and the function (Y&#160;axis) representing signal intensity. Calculate regression curves using a data analysis software to calculate the amount of cells corresponding to the unit of fluorescent intensity (Figure 2)10.</li>
</ol>
4. Animal Model of Liver Metastases
<ol>
	<li>Once the HCT116-L2T cells reach 70 - 80% confluency, prepare them approximately 1 h prior to the spleen injection. Dissociate the cells using 0.05% Trypsin in 0.53 mM EDTA for 3 - 5 min, and then neutralize them with an equal amount of cDMEM. Make sure to pipette thoroughly to avoid clumping.</li>
	<li>Count the cells with an automatic cell counter.</li>
	<li>Resuspend the cells in 1x DPBS to a concentration of 1.2 - 2 x 106 cells/100 &#181;L. Make sure to pipette and resuspend the cells thoroughly to avoid clumping.</li>
	<li>Keep the cells on ice until injection, occasionally resuspending them in the tube.</li>
	<li>Prior to anesthetizing the mice, provide a preoperative anesthetic and fluid bolus by subcutaneously injecting 500 &#181;L of the buprenorphine mixture described in step 1.3. Administer the same dose of additional buprenorphine mixture twice a day until signs of pain(reduced mobility, hunched stature, failure to groom, vocalization when handled) have resolved.</li>
	<li>Anesthetize 6- to 8-week-old female athymic nude mice with 2% isoflurane in oxygen in an anesthesia chamber. Confirm that the mice are completely under anesthesia by pinching the tail. Use vet ointment on the eyes to prevent dryness while under anesthesia.&#160;Transfer each anesthetized mouse to an individual nose cone for the spleen injection. Prior to incision, each mouse should be covered with a sterile surgical drape.</li>
	<li>Identify the spleen as a purple area seen externally through the skin on the left flank of the nude mice. Using microdissection scissors, make an 8&#160;mm left flank incision on the skin just above the spleen.
	<ol>
		<li>Next, lift up on the abdominal wall and make a small incision. Allow air into the abdominal cavity so that the internal organs move away from the incision site. Enlarge the abdominal wall incision to approximately 5 mm.</li>
		<li>Expose the spleen by gently applying pressure around the incision with a cotton swab. If needed, the pancreatic fat can be gently manipulated to help with exposure so as not to injure the spleen.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Slowly inject 100 &#181;L of cells using a 1&#160;mL syringe with a 27&#160;G needle into the tip of the exposed spleen. Inject slowly, over a period of at least 30 - 60 s, to avoid extra-liver tumors.</li>
	<li>Place a microclip on the spleen prior to removing the needle at the end of the injection to prevent leakage of the injected cell suspension.</li>
	<li>Leave the microclip in place for 5 min.</li>
	<li>5 min postinjection, perform a splenectomy using a hand-held cautery device for hemostasis. Dissect the splenic hilum, starting from the anterior side. When dissecting large vessels, pre-coagulate the proximal side of the vessels with adjacent fat tissue, using cautery to avoid excessive bleeding. 
	NOTE: Methods for hemostasis: coagulate the bleeding point directly with cautery, apply pressure to the bleeding point for 3 - 5 min, or suture-ligate the bleeding point with a 5-0 silk tie.</li>
	<li>Close the flank incision of each mouse in two layers. First, close the abdominal wall with a 5-0 absorbable braided suture (e.g., vicryl) in a single horizontal stitch. Next, close the skin using a 4-0 nonabsorbable monofilament suture (e.g., prolene), again with a single horizontal stitch.</li>
	<li>Clean all instruments by spraying 70% isopropanol to maintain sterile conditions between every procedure. 
	NOTE: Make sure the animals are warmed while they awake from anesthesia. Monitor all mice post-operatively until they become ambulatory and return to normal activity. Typically, the recovery time is approximately 3 - 5 min. Do not leave animals unattended until they have regained sufficient consciousness to maintain sternal recumbency. Do not return an animal that has undergone surgery to the company of other animals until it has fully recovered.</li>
</ol>
5. In Vivo Bioluminescent Imaging
<ol>
	<li>Perform imaging on a weekly basis to measure and quantify changes in bioluminescence over time.</li>
	<li>Place mice in an anesthesia chamber and anesthetize them with 2% isoflurane in oxygen. Confirm that the mice are completely under anesthesia by pinching the tails. Use vet ointment on the eyes to prevent dryness while under anesthesia.</li>
	<li>Next, intraperitoneally inject each mouse with 150 &#181;L of the preprepared firefly luciferin from step 1.4.</li>
	<li>Place the mice in an IVIS with individual nose cones administering isoflurane. Place the mice in the supine position with spacers in between to minimize the signal to adjacent mice. A maximum of five mice may be imaged at one time.</li>
	<li>Measure and analyze bioluminescent intensities 3 min after luciferin injection.
	<ol>
		<li>After initializing the IVIS as described in step 3.2.1, select &#34;Luminescent&#34;, &#34;1 second&#34; exposure time, and &#34;Medium&#34; binning.</li>
		<li>Click the &#34;Acquire&#34; button to start imaging. Make sure to perform each imaging at a consistent time (3 min) after the luciferin injection.</li>
		<li>After the image is acquired, an image window and tool palette will appear. Click &#34;ROI Tools&#34; and select &#34;1&#34;, &#34;2&#34;, &#34;3&#34;, &#34;4&#34;, or &#34;5&#34; from the circle icon, corresponding to the number of mice imaged.</li>
		<li>To define Regions of Interest (ROIs), circle the signal area of the luminescent signal in the abdominal cavity of the mouse, and then click &#34;measurements&#34; of the ROI as an arbitrary unit of radiant efficiency ((photons/s/cm2/steradian)/(&#181;W/cm2)). Make sure to have an additional ROI circle of the background.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>At four weeks post-injection and prior to animal sacrifice, perform Diffuse Luminescent Imaging Tomography (DLIT) using IVIS to evaluate the tumor burden and distribution using real-time 3D reconstruction of bioluminescent intensities of individual tumor colonies.
	<ol>
		<li>Anesthetize the mice and inject luciferin, as described in step 5.2.4. DLIT is performed on one mouse at a time.</li>
		<li>After initializing the IVIS, as described in step 3.2.1, select &#34;Imaging wizard&#34;, &#34;Bioluminescence&#34;, and click &#34;Next&#34;. Select &#34;DLIT&#34; and click &#34;Next&#34;. Select &#34;Firefly&#34; probes and click &#34;Next&#34;. Select &#34;mouse&#34; image subject, &#34;Auto&#34; exposure parameter, &#34;C-13 cm&#34; field of view, and &#34;0.5 cm&#34; subject height, and click &#34;Next&#34;. Click the &#34;Acquire&#34; button to start imaging.</li>
		<li>After the image is acquired, select the &#34;DLIT 3D Reconstruction&#34; tab and the &#34;Analyze&#34; tab and click &#34;Reconstruct&#34; to generate the 3D reconstruction image.</li>
		<li>Click &#34;Tools&#34; and &#34;3D Animation&#34;. Select &#34;Spin CCW on Y-axis&#34; in the 3D animation window. Click &#34;Record&#34; and &#34;Save&#34; into a .mov format file.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
6. Ex Vivo Fluorescent Imaging
<ol>
	<li>Sacrifice the mice by cervical dislocation while anesthetized, or according to institutional guidelines&#160;at 4 - 6 weeks following the spleen injections.</li>
	<li>Harvest the liver. Make a horizontal incision from the left to right flank. Grabbing the xiphoid process with a pickup, dissect the falciform, the hepatic vein, and the inferior vena cava.
	<ol>
		<li>Dissect the right hepatorenal ligament, the hepatoduodenal ligament, and the left hepatorenal ligament, taking care not to injure the caudate lobe while dissecting the hepatoduodenal ligament. After harvesting the liver, remove the gallbladder, as this will display autofluorescence. Make note of any additional extra-liver tumors present.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Take note of the numbers and sizes of liver tumors present macroscopically, and place the harvested livers in DPBS. 
	NOTE: Tumors are macroscopically visible to the naked eye as white tumors (for a representative example, see Figure 4).</li>
	<li>Prior to placement on the imaging sheet, take each liver and gently remove excess liquid by blotting on a paper towel.</li>
	<li>Measure the fluorescent intensities from each tumor colony using the IVIS.
	<ol>
		<li>Select &#34;Fluorescence&#34;, &#34;4 seconds&#34; exposure time, &#34;Medium&#34; binning, &#34;2&#34; F/stop, &#34;535&#34; excitation filter, and &#34;580&#34; emission filter. Click the &#34;Acquire&#34; button to start imaging.</li>
		<li>After acquiring the image, locate the image window and tool palette. Click &#34;ROI Tools&#34; and select &#34;1&#34; from the circle icon. To define ROIs, circle the signal area of individual tumor colonies on the image, and then click &#34;measurements&#34; of the ROI as an arbitrary unit of radiant efficiency ((photons/s/cm2/steradian)/(&#181;W/cm2)). Make sure to have an additional ROI circle of the background.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Calculate the total tumor volume by assuming it to be a sphere. Tumor volume = 4 x &#960; x r3 / 3 (r = radius). Calculate the fraction of tumor colony forming cells (Fc) as the number of tumors in the liver divided by the number of cells splenically injected.</li>
	<li>Calculate the total cell number per colony (=X) from the linear approximation from step 3.3. Calculate the number of cell divisions (=Y) as Y = log2X and the Td as Td (day) = 28 / Y.</li>
</ol>

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<li>Li, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Interferon-stimulated+gene+15+%28ISG15%29+is+a+trigger+for+tumorigenesis+and+metastasis+of+hepatocellular+carcinoma%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Oncotarget%22%5BJournal%5D)">Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) is a trigger for tumorigenesis and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.</a> Oncotarget. 5 (18), 8429-8441 (2014).</li>
<li>Cespedes, M. V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Orthotopic+microinjection+of+human+colon+cancer+cells+in+nude+mice+induces+tumor+foci+in+all+clinically+relevant+metastatic+sites%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Am.+J.+Pathol%22%5BJournal%5D)">Orthotopic microinjection of human colon cancer cells in nude mice induces tumor foci in all clinically relevant metastatic sites.</a> Am. J. Pathol. 170 (3), 1077-1085 (2007).</li>
<li>Tseng, W., Leong, X., Engleman, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Orthotopic+mouse+model+of+colorectal+cancer%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22J.+Vis.+Exp%22%5BJournal%5D)">Orthotopic mouse model of colorectal cancer.</a> J. Vis. Exp. (10), (2007).</li>
<li>Soares, K. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((A+preclinical+murine+model+of+hepatic+metastases%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22J.+Vis.+Exp%22%5BJournal%5D)">A preclinical murine model of hepatic metastases.</a> J. Vis. Exp. (27), e51677(2014).</li>
<li>Evans, J. P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((From+mice+to+men%3A+Murine+models+of+colorectal+cancer+for+use+in+translational+research%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Crit.+Rev.+Oncol.+Hematol%22%5BJournal%5D)">From mice to men: Murine models of colorectal cancer for use in translational research.</a> Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol. 98, 94-105 (2016).</li>
</ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

The animal model presented in the current report is based on two major approaches. First, in order to ensure the ability to observe metastatic clones with different propensities to colonize and proliferate in the liver, a panel of highly heterogeneous monoclonal cell lines was established, rather than an established unfractionated cancer cell line12,13. The monoclonal approach to metastasis development is justified by recent genomic data14 and was successfully used previously to model the metastatic...

Patients with liver metastases from primary colorectal cancers (CRC) are characterized by a poor prognosis. The 5-year survival rate for primary nonmetastatic CRC (stages I - III) is estimated as 75 - 88%3,4, while patients with liver metastases (stage IV) have a 5-year survival rate of only 8 - 12%5,6. However, metastatic patients represent a heterogeneous group, presenting with different numbers of metastases and different recurrence times. Clinical observations indicate that the number of metastases (which may be proportional to colonizing ability or frequency of colonization) and the size of any single metastasis (proportional to the local growth rate) are independent prognostic factors1,7. In other words, the success of metastatic clones colonizing the liver depends on two major properties: their ability to grow and their ability to disseminate and survive in the liver microenvironment.
The design of successful clinical models with the capability of capturing and quantifying the properties of metastatic clones can drastically improve our understanding of liver metastasis biology and provide an effective tool for the design of potential therapeutic approaches. Models of experimental liver metastasis have been previously reported8,9, but neither of them provided the ability to quantitatively capture and describe properties of individual metastatic clones both in vivo and ex vivo.
Here, we present a new, advanced model of liver metastasis that includes the generation of tumor clones with different liver colonization efficiencies and growth properties. We employed a combination of dual-labeling of cancer cells with luciferase and tdTomato fluorescent protein with the generation of monoclonal cell lines that have intrinsic differences in metastatic capacity. In this experimental model, the data indicate that the development of liver metastases can be described in terms of colonization frequency and doubling time (Td), which is consistent with clinical observations. The quantitative nature of this model makes it easily adoptable for drug discovery and diagnostic purposes.

<table><tbody><tr><td>IVIS Spectrum &lt;em&gt;In Vivo&lt;/em&gt; Imaging System</td><td>Caliper Life Sciences</td><td>124262</td><td>&lt;em&gt;In Vivo&lt;/em&gt; imaging system</td></tr><tr><td>LivingImage 4.0 Software</td><td>Caliper Life Sciences</td><td>128165</td><td>Imaging software</td></tr><tr><td>VAD-MGX Research Anesthetic Machine</td><td>Vetamac</td><td>VAD-MGX</td><td>Inhalation anesthesia machine</td></tr><tr><td>DMEM</td><td>Gibco</td><td>11965-118</td><td>Cell culture reagents</td></tr><tr><td>DPBS</td><td>Gibco</td><td>14190250</td><td>Cell culture reagents</td></tr><tr><td>Penicillin/Streptomycin, liquid (10,000 units penicillin;10,000 &amp;mu;g streptomycin)</td><td>Invitrogen</td><td>15140163</td><td>Cell culture reagents</td></tr><tr><td>HBSS</td><td>ThermoFisher</td><td>24020117</td><td>Cell culture reagents</td></tr><tr><td>Buprenex Injection (0.3 mg/mL)</td><td>Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare Ltd.</td><td>12496-0757-5</td><td>Buprenorphine hydrochloride</td></tr><tr><td>Gemini Cautery System</td><td>Braintree Scientific</td><td>GEM 5917</td><td>Hand-held cautery for splenectomy</td></tr><tr><td>Micro Clip; Straight; 70 Grams Pressure; 1.5 mm Clip Width; 10 mm Jaw Length</td><td>Roboz Surgical Instrument</td><td>RS-5426</td><td>Hemoclip: Hemostasis instruments after spleen injection</td></tr><tr><td>D-luciferin, potassium salt</td><td>Goldbio Technology</td><td>LUCK-1G</td><td>Luciferin potassium salt</td></tr><tr><td>Opti-MEM I Reduced Serum Medium</td><td>Gibco</td><td>31985062</td><td>Reduced Serum Medium</td></tr><tr><td>TC20 Automated Cell Counter</td><td>BIO-RAD</td><td>1450102</td><td>Automatic cell counter</td></tr><tr><td>JMP10 software&amp;nbsp;</td><td>SAS Institute</td><td></td><td>Data analysis software</td></tr><tr><td>BD FACSAria II cell sorter</td><td>BD Biocsiences</td><td></td><td>Cell sorter</td></tr></tbody></table>

advanced animal model of colorectal metastasis in liver: imaging techniques and properties of metastatic clones

Patients with a limited number of hepatic metastases and slow rates of progression can be successfully treated with local treatment approaches1,2. However, little is known about the heterogeneity of liver metastases, and animal models capable of evaluating the development of individual metastatic colonies are needed. Here, we present an advanced model of hepatic metastases that provides the ability to quantitatively visualize the development of individual tumor clones in the liver and estimate their growth kinetics and colonization efficiency. We generated a panel of monoclonal derivatives of HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells stably labeled with luciferase and tdTomato and possessing different growth properties. With a splenic injection followed by a splenectomy, the majority of these clones are able to generate hepatic metastases, but with different frequencies of colonization and varying growth rates. Using the In Vivo&#160;Imaging System (IVIS), it is possible to visualize and quantify metastasis development with in vivo luminescent and ex vivo fluorescent imaging. In addition, Diffuse Luminescent Imaging Tomography (DLIT) provides a 3D distribution of liver metastases in vivo. Ex vivo fluorescent imaging of harvested livers provides quantitative measurements of individual hepatic metastatic colonies, allowing for the evaluation of the frequency of liver colonization and the growth kinetics of metastases. Since the model is similar to clinically observed liver metastases, it can serve as a modality for detecting genes associated with liver metastasis and for testing potential ablative or adjuvant treatments for liver metastatic disease.

The goal of this experiment was to establish a consistent and easily reproducible animal model with the potential for the serial quantification of the in vivo metastatic tumor burden and for the estimation of the colonizing frequency and growth kinetics of developing liver metastases. Figures 2-6, with legends, are provided from our previous publication under a Creative Commons CC-BY license10.
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Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Advanced Animal Model of Colorectal Metastasis in Liver: Imaging Techniques and Properties of Metastatic Clones at JoVE.com

Advanced Animal Model of Colorectal Metastasis in Liver: Imaging Techniques and Properties of Metastatic Clones

The ability of metastatic clones to colonize distant sites depends on their proliferation capacity and/or their ability to survive in the host microenvironment without significant proliferation. Here, we present an animal model that allows quantitative visualization of both types of liver colonization by metastatic clones.

Patients with a limited number of hepatic metastases and slow rates of progression can be successfully treated with local treatment approaches1,2. ...

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Research

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Cancer Research

12.6K Views.  The University of Chicago. The ability of metastatic clones to colonize distant sites depends on their proliferation capacity and/or their ability to survive in the host microenvironment without significant proliferation. Here, we present an animal model that allows quantitative visualization of both types of liver colonization by metastatic clones.

Video: Advanced Animal Model of Colorectal Metastasis in Liver: Imaging Techniques and Properties of Metastatic Clones

Murine Bioluminescent Hepatic Tumour Model

This video describes the establishment of liver metastases in a mouse model that can be subsequently analysed by bioluminescent imaging. Tumour cells are administered specifically to the liver to induce a localised liver tumour, via mobilisation of the spleen and splitting into two, leaving intact the vascular pedicle for each half of the spleen. Lewis lung carcinoma cells that constitutively express the firefly luciferase gene (luc1) are inoculated into one hemi-spleen which is then resected 10 minutes later. The other hemi-spleen is left intact and returned to the abdomen. Liver tumour growth can be monitored by bioluminescence imaging using the IVIS whole body imaging system. Quantitative imaging of tumour growth using IVIS provides precise quantitation of viable tumour cells. Tumour cell death and necrosis due to drug treatment is indicated early by a reduction in the bioluminescent signal. This mouse model allows for investigating the mechanisms underlying metastatic tumour-cell survival and growth and can be used for the evaluation of therapeutics of liver metastasis. 

This article describes a procedure for the induction of orthotopic bioluminescent liver tumours in mice, and subsequent analysis of tumour growth confined to the liver using live whole body luminescence imaging.

This video describes the establishment of liver metastases in a mouse model that can be subsequently analysed by bioluminescent imaging. Tumour cells are ...

Medicine

A Portal Vein Injection Model to Study Liver Metastasis of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women worldwide. Liver metastasis is involved in upwards of 30% of cases with breast cancer metastasis, and results in poor outcomes with median survival rates of only 4.8 - 15 months. Current rodent models of breast cancer metastasis, including primary tumor cell xenograft and spontaneous tumor models, rarely metastasize to the liver. Intracardiac and intrasplenic injection models do result in liver metastases, however these models can be confounded by concomitant secondary-site metastasis, or by compromised immunity due to removal of the spleen to avoid tumor growth at the injection site. To address the need for improved liver metastasis models, a murine portal vein injection method that delivers tumor cells firstly and directly to the liver was developed. This model delivers tumor cells to the liver without complications of concurrent metastases in other organs or removal of the spleen. The optimized portal vein protocol employs small injection volumes of 5 - 10 &#956;l, &#8805; 32 gauge needles, and hemostatic gauze at the injection site to control for blood loss. The portal vein injection approach in Balb/c female mice using three syngeneic mammary tumor lines of varying metastatic potential was tested; high-metastatic 4T1 cells, moderate-metastatic D2A1 cells, and low-metastatic D2.OR cells. Concentrations of &#8804; 10,000 cells/injection results in a latency of ~ 20 - 40 days for development of liver metastases with the higher metastatic 4T1 and D2A1 lines, and &#62; 55 days for the less aggressive D2.OR line. This model represents an important tool to study breast cancer metastasis to the liver, and may be applicable to other cancers that frequently metastasize to the liver including colorectal and pancreatic adenocarcinomas.

A surgical procedure was developed to deliver mammary tumor cells to the murine liver via portal vein injection. This model permits investigation of late stages of liver metastasis in a fully immune competent host, including tumor cell extravasation, seeding, survival, and metastatic outgrowth in the liver.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women worldwide. Liver metastasis is involved in upwards of 30% of cases with breast ...

Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Colorectal Cancer

Despite the advantages of easy applicability and cost-effectiveness, subcutaneous mouse models have severe limitations and do not accurately simulate tumor biology and tumor cell dissemination. Orthotopic mouse models have been introduced to overcome these limitations; however, such models are technically demanding, especially in hollow organs such as the large bowel. In order to produce uniform tumors which reliably grow and metastasize, standardized techniques of tumor cell preparation and injection are critical. 
We have developed an orthotopic mouse model of colorectal cancer (CRC) which develops highly uniform tumors and can be used for tumor biology studies as well as therapeutic trials. Tumor cells from either primary tumors, 2-dimensional (2D) cell lines or 3-dimensional (3D) organoids are injected into the cecum and, depending on the metastatic potential of the injected tumor cells, form highly metastatic tumors. In addition, CTCs can be found regularly. We here describe the technique of tumor cell preparation from both 2D cell lines and 3D organoids as well as primary tumor tissue, the surgical and injection techniques as well as the isolation of CTCs from the tumor-bearing mice, and present tips for troubleshooting.

We describe the establishment of orthotopic colorectal tumors via injection of tumor cells or organoids into the cecum of mice and the subsequent isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from this model.

Despite the advantages of easy applicability and cost-effectiveness, subcutaneous mouse models have severe limitations and do not accurately simulate ...

High-sensitivity Detection of Micrometastases Generated by GFP Lentivirus-transduced Organoids Cultured from a Patient-derived Colon Tumor

Despite current advances in human colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, few radical therapies are effective for the late stages of CRC. To overcome this clinical challenge, tumor xenograft mouse models using long-established human carcinoma cell lines and many transgenic mouse models with tumors have been developed as preclinical models. They partially mimic the features of human carcinomas, but often fail to recapitulate the key aspects of human malignancies including invasion and metastasis. Thus, alternative models that better represent the malignant progression in human CRC have long been awaited.
We herein show generation of patient-derived tumor xenografts (PDXs) by subcutaneous implantation of small CRC fragments surgically dissected from a patient. The colon PDXs develop and histopathologically resemble the CRC in the patient. However, few spontaneous micrometastases are detectable in conventional cross-sections of affected distant organs in the PDX model. To facilitate the detection of metastatic dissemination into distant organs, we extracted the tumor organoid cells from the colon PDXs in culture and infected them with GFP lentivirus prior to injection into highly immunodeficient NOD/Shi-scid IL2R&#947;null (NOG) mice. Orthotopically injected PDX-derived CRC organoid cells consistently form primary tumors positive for GFP in recipient mice. Moreover, spontaneously developing micrometastatic colonies expressing GFP are notably detected in the lungs of these mice by fluorescence microscopy. Moreover, intrasplenic injection of CRC organoids frequently produces hepatic colonization. Taken together, these findings indicate GFP-labelled PDX-derived CRC organoid cells to be visually detectable during a multistep process termed the invasion-metastasis cascade. The described protocols include the establishment of PDXs of human CRC and 3D culture of the corresponding CRC organoid cells transduced by GFP lentiviral particles.

To allow highly sensitive detection of the disseminating human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells colonizing tissues, we herein show a protocol for efficient transduction of green fluorescent protein (GFP) lentiviral particles into PDX-derived CRC organoid cells prior to their injection into recipient mice, with stereo-fluorescence microscopic observation.

Despite current advances in human colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, few radical therapies are effective for the late stages of CRC. To overcome this ...

Orthotopic Mouse Model of Colorectal Cancer

The traditional subcutaneous tumor model is less than ideal for studying colorectal cancer. Orthotopic mouse models of colorectal cancer, which feature cancer cells growing in their natural location, replicate human disease with high fidelity. Two techniques can be used to establish this model. Both techniques are similar and require mouse anesthesia and laparotomy for exposure of the cecum. One technique involves injection of a colorectal cancer cell suspension into the cecal wall. Cancer cells are first grown in culture, harvested when subconfluent and prepared as a single cell suspension. A small volume of cells is injected slowly to avoid leakage. The other technique involves transplantation of a piece of subcutaneous tumor onto the cecum. A mouse with a previously established subcutaneous colorectal tumor is euthanized and the tumor is removed using sterile technique. The tumor piece is divided into small pieces for transplantation to another mouse. Prior to transplantation, the cecal wall is lightly damaged to facilitate tumor cell infiltration. The time to developing primary tumors and liver metastases will vary depending on the technique, cell line, and mouse species used. This orthotopic mouse model is useful for studying the natural progression of colorectal cancer and testing new therapeutic agents against colorectal cancer.

Two techniques can be used to establish this model: injection of a cancer cell suspension into the cecal wall or transplantation of a piece of subcutaneous tumor onto the cecum. This model is useful for studying the natural progression of colorectal cancer and testing new therapeutic agents against colorectal cancer.

The traditional subcutaneous tumor model is less than ideal for studying colorectal cancer. Orthotopic mouse models of colorectal cancer, which feature ...

Biology

Patient-derived Orthotopic Xenograft Models for Human Urothelial Cell Carcinoma and Colorectal Cancer Tumor Growth and Spontaneous Metastasis

Cancer patients have poor prognoses when lymph node (LN) involvement is present in both high-grade urothelial cell carcinoma (HG-UCC) of the bladder and colorectal cancer (CRC). More than 50% of patients with muscle-invasive UCC, despite curative therapy for clinically-localized disease, will develop metastases and die within 5 years, and metastatic CRC is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US. Xenograft models that consistently mimic UCC and CRC metastasis seen in patients are needed. This study aims to generate patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) models of UCC and CRC for primary tumor growth and spontaneous metastases under the influence of LN stromal cells mimicking the progression of human metastatic diseases for drug screening. Fresh UCC and CRC tumors were obtained from consented patients undergoing resection for HG-UCC and colorectal adenocarcinoma, respectively. Co-inoculated with LN stromal cell (LNSC) analog HK cells, luciferase-tagged UCC cells were intra-vesically (IB) instilled into female non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice, and CRC cells were intra-rectally (IR) injected into male NOD/SCID mice. Tumor growth and metastasis were monitored weekly using bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Upon sacrifice, primary tumors and mouse organs were harvested, weighed, and formalin-fixed for Hematoxylin and Eosin and immunohistochemistry staining. In our unique PDOX models, xenograft tumors resemble patient pre-implantation tumors. In the presence of HK cells, both models have high tumor implantation rates measured by BLI and tumor weights, 83.3% for UCC and 96.9% for CRC, and high distant organ metastasis rates (33.3% detected liver or lung metastasis for UCC and 53.1% for CRC). In addition, both models have zero mortality from the procedure. We have established unique, reproducible PDOX models for human HG-UCC and CRC, which allow for tumor formation, growth, and metastasis studies. With these models, testing of novel therapeutic drugs can be performed efficiently and in a clinically-mimetic manner.

This protocol describes the generation of patient-derived orthotopic xenograft models by intra-vesically instilling high-grade urothelial cell carcinoma cells or intra-rectally injecting colorectal cancer cells into non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice for primary tumor growth and spontaneous metastases under the influence of lymph node stromal cells, which mimics the progression of human metastatic diseases.

Cancer patients have poor prognoses when lymph node (LN) involvement is present in both high-grade urothelial cell carcinoma (HG-UCC) of the bladder and ...

Murine Model of Metastatic Liver Tumors in the Setting of Ischemia Reperfusion Injury

Liver ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury, a common clinical challenge, remains an inevitable pathophysiological process that has been shown to induce multiple tissue and organ damage. Despite recent advances and therapeutic approaches, the overall morbidity has remained unsatisfactory especially in patients with underlying parenchymal abnormalities. In the context of aggressive cancer growth and metastasis, surgical I/R is suspected to be the promoter regulating tumor recurrence. This article aims to describe a clinically relevant murine model of liver I/R and colorectal liver metastasis. In doing so, we aim to assist other investigators in establishing and perfecting this model for their routine research practice to better understand the effects of liver I/R on promoting liver metastases.

We describe in detail a clinically relevant colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) tumor model and the influence of liver ischemia reperfusion (I/R) in tumor growth and metastasis. This model can help to better understand the mechanisms underlying surgery-induced promotion of liver metastatic growth.

Liver ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury, a common clinical challenge, remains an inevitable pathophysiological process that has been shown to induce ...

Combined Use of Tail Vein Metastasis Assays and Real-Time In Vivo Imaging to Quantify Breast Cancer Metastatic Colonization and Burden in the Lungs

Metastasis is the main cause of cancer-related deaths and there are limited therapeutic options for patients with metastatic disease. The identification and testing of novel therapeutic targets that will facilitate the development of better treatments for metastatic disease requires preclinical in vivo models. Demonstrated here is a syngeneic mouse model for assaying breast cancer metastatic colonization and subsequent growth. Metastatic cancer cells are stably transduced with viral vectors encoding firefly luciferase and ZsGreen proteins. Candidate genes are then stably manipulated in luciferase/ZsGreen-expressing cancer cells and then the cells are injected into mice via the lateral tail vein to assay metastatic colonization and growth. An in vivo imaging device is then used to measure the bioluminescence or fluorescence of the tumor cells in the living animals to quantify changes in metastatic burden over time. The expression of the fluorescent protein allows the number and size of metastases in the lungs to be quantified at the end of the experiment without the need for sectioning or histological staining. This approach offers a relatively quick and easy way to test the role of candidate genes in metastatic colonization and growth, and provides a great deal more information than traditional tail vein metastasis assays. Using this approach, we show that simultaneous knockdown of Yes associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co-activator with a PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in breast cancer cells leads to reduced metastatic burden in the lungs and that this reduced burden is the result of significantly impaired metastatic colonization and reduced growth of metastases.

The described approach combines experimental tail vein metastasis assays with in vivo live animal imaging to allow real-time monitoring of breast cancer metastasis formation and growth in addition to the quantification of metastasis number and size in the lungs.

Metastasis is the main cause of cancer-related deaths and there are limited therapeutic options for patients with metastatic disease. The identification ...

Portal Vein Injection of Colorectal Cancer Organoids to Study the Liver Metastasis Stroma

Hepatic metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a major component of the tumor microenvironment, play a crucial role in metastatic CRC progression and predict poor patient prognosis. However, there is a lack of satisfactory mouse models to study the crosstalk between metastatic cancer cells and CAFs. Here, we present a method to investigate how liver metastasis progression is regulated by the metastatic niche and possibly could be restrained by stroma-directed therapy. Portal vein injection of CRC organoids generated a desmoplastic reaction, which faithfully recapitulated the fibroblast-rich histology of human CRC liver metastases. This model was tissue-specific with a higher tumor burden in the liver when compared to an intra-splenic injection model, simplifying mouse survival analyses. By injecting luciferase-expressing tumor organoids, tumor growth kinetics could be monitored by in vivo imaging. Moreover, this preclinical model provides a useful platform to assess the efficacy of therapeutics targeting the tumor mesenchyme. We describe methods to examine whether adeno-associated virus-mediated delivery of a tumor-inhibiting stromal gene to hepatocytes could remodel the tumor microenvironment and improve mouse survival. This approach enables the development and assessment of novel therapeutic strategies to inhibit hepatic metastasis of CRC.

Portal vein injection of colorectal cancer (CRC) organoids generates stroma-rich liver metastasis. This mouse model of CRC hepatic metastasis represents a useful tool to study tumor-stroma interactions and develop novel stroma-directed therapeutics such as adeno-associated virus-mediated gene therapies.

Hepatic metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a major component of the ...

Orthotopic Implantation of Patient-Derived Cancer Cells in Mice Recapitulates Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Over the last decade, more sophisticated preclinical colorectal cancer (CRC) models have been established using patient-derived cancer cells and 3D tumoroids. Since patient derived tumor organoids can retain the characteristics of the original tumor, these reliable preclinical models enable cancer drug screening and the study of drug resistance mechanisms. However, CRC related death in patients is mostly associated with the presence of metastatic disease. It is therefore essential to evaluate the efficacy of anti-cancer therapies in relevant in vivo models that truly recapitulate the key molecular features of human cancer metastasis. We have established an orthotopic model based on the injection of CRC patient-derived cancer cells directly into the cecum wall of mice. These tumor cells develop primary tumors in the cecum that metastasize to the liver and lungs, which is frequently observed in patients with advanced CRC. This CRC mouse model can be used to evaluate drug responses monitored by microcomputed tomography (&#181;CT), a clinically relevant small-scale imaging method that can easily identify primary tumors or metastases in patients. Here, we describe the surgical procedure and the required methodology to implant patient-derived cancer cells in the cecum wall of immunodeficient mice.

This protocol describes the orthotopic implantation of patient-derived cancer cells in the cecum wall of immunodeficient mice. The model recapitulates advanced colorectal cancer metastatic disease and allows for the evaluation of new therapeutic drugs in a clinically relevant scenario of lung and liver metastases.

Over the last decade, more sophisticated preclinical colorectal cancer (CRC) models have been established using patient-derived cancer cells and 3D ...

Advanced Animal Model of Colorectal Metastasis in Liver: Imaging Techniques and Properties of Metastatic Clones

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