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Background

Dr. Denise Connolly and colleagues of Fox Chase Cancer Center have developed a stable line of transgenic mice in which females develop bilateral epithelial ovarian cancer with both metastatic spread to peritoneal organs and the formation of ascites.

Fox Chase TgMISIIR-TAg mice express the transforming region of Simian Virus 40 under control of the Müllerian inhibiting substance type II receptor (MISIIR) gene promoter. Use of the MISIIR promoter targets the expression of SV40 TAg specifically to the ovary and epithelium of the female mouse reproductive tract. As a result, Fox Chase TgMISIIR-TAg female mice develop bilateral epithelial ovarian tumors that metastasize and form ascites. The infertility of most female TgMISIIR-TAg transgenic founder mice led to the establishment of a stable transgenic line using a male TgMISIIR-TAg transgenic founder mouse. The transgenic line was backcrossed to C57Bl/6 for greater than twelve generations, is genetically pure C57Bl/6, and is maintained by breeding male TgMISIIR-TAg-DR26 mice to wild-type C57Bl/6 females. All transgene positive female offspring develop ovarian cancer. In addition, several mouse ovarian cancer cell lines, known as MOVCAR (Mouse OVarian CARcinoma), were developed from ascites of tumor bearing mice from this transgenic line. The MOVCAR cell lines exhibit malignant characteristics in cell culture (soft agar) and produce tumors in SCID mice.

Applications

Fox Chase TgMISIIR-TAg female mice and the MOVCAR cell lines are useful for

• Research: on basic mechanisms of ovarian cancer initiation and development
• Cancer Drug Discovery: Evaluation of ovarian cancer detection methods.

Male Fox Chase TgMISIIR-TAg mice are available under commercial and research use licenses for licensees to use in breeding their own colonies. The MOVCAR cell lines are also available for non-exclusive licensing.

Publications

• Connolly, DC, et al., "Female Mice Chimeric for Expression of the Simian Virus 40 Tag under Control of the MISIIR Promoter Develop Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, " Cancer Research (2003); 63: 1389-1397

For licensing information, contact

Clarissa Ceruti, PhD, MBA
Associate Director
Office of Corporate Alliances
Fox Chase Cancer Center
610 Old York Road, Room 407
Jenkintown, PA 19046
Tel.: 215-214-1546
Fax: 215-214-1440
clarissa.ceruti@fccc.edu