Distinct organ-specific metastatic potential of individual breast cancer cells and primary tumors
J. Clin. Invest. Andy J. Minn, et al. 115:44 doi:10.1172/JCI22320 [Go to this article.]

Figure 2
Noninvasive BLI to monitor the development of osteolytic metastases from the same mouse. (A–D) SCP2, a highly metastatic clone from MDA-MB-231, was transduced with the luciferase-containing TGL reporter gene and was injected into the left cardiac ventricle of an immunodeficient mouse. At the indicated times after xenografting, the bioluminescence signal was captured. The intensity of the signal, measured as photon flux, is shown as a color scale. Images for days 0, 1, and 8 are displayed on the same scale, while the day-35 image is shown on a different scale due to the exponential growth of the metastases. A metastasis to the right hindlimb is circled in red. (E) The growth kinetics of the right hindlimb metastasis outlined by the red circle shown in B–D was quantified by measurement of photon flux. (F–H) A bioluminescence image (F) and a skeletal x-ray image (G) were obtained on day 16 after xenografting. Images were superimposed (H) to demonstrate registration of the bioluminescence signals with skeletal anatomy. (I–N) A superimposed image from day 45 (I and L) reveals extensive areas of osteolytic destruction that correspond to bioluminescence signals. Magnification of regions outlined in red shows involvement of the femur/tibia, iliac creast of the pelvis, and the sacrum (J and K), in addition to the vertebrae (M and N). The bioluminescence signal from the region outlined in yellow on the left lateral projection (L) does not overlap with skeletal structures and originates from the adrenal gland (Figure 3, J–M).