[Xenotransplantation of human breast cancer in athymic nude mice]

Abstract

Of 150 human breast cancers, 90 (60%) were successfully transplanted onto thymusaplastic nude mice without the use of adjunctive immunosuppressive therapy. Four months after transplantation, 12 rapidly growing tumors had diameters of 2.5-3.5 cm. Investigations revealed a high correlation between the histology of original tumors and xenografts. We conclude that the nude mouse may be used as an animal model for studies such as this, or in determining the sensitivity of transplanted tumors to cytostatic drugs, steroid hormones, and radiation.