Intracranial Meningioma in Mice: Noninvasive Bioluminescence Imaging

Abstract

Meningioma research is undertaken to assess possible future treatment options for surgically or biologically incurable tumors. To date, additional surgery, radiation, and systemic therapies have been disappointing. In this chapter, we outline in vivo and in vitro meningioma research models, focusing on the intracranial meningioma mouse model that uses a novel bioluminescence imaging (BLI) system. In vitro and in vivo meningioma research utilizes cells grown from operative specimens and immortal cell lines (CH-157-MN and IOMM-Lee). In vivo models involve the injection of these cells into the flanks or heads of mice. The ease of monitoring tumor growth in the subcutaneous flank model is its primary advantage. The intracranial BLI mouse model places xenograft tumors in their natural location and enables sequential noninvasive measurement in a cost-­effective manner. The BLI system uses the luciferase gene transfected into immortal meningioma cell lines to obtain cells that express the luciferase enzyme, which oxidizes luciferin in a reaction that releases photon energy that can be measured noninvasively. Both flank and intracranial meningioma mouse tumors exhibit microscopic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features characteristic of meningiomas. Intracranial tumors exhibit characteristics of aggressive meningiomas by insinuating along arachnoid planes and invading brain. Future research with these models may hold promise for patients with refractory meningiomas.