Studying angiogenesis in autochthonous xenograft models of glioblastoma multiforme by MVD-CD34 technique in Iranian patients

Despite advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment, survival rate of patients suffering from glioblastoma multiform (GBM) has not been significantly improved. Therefore, novel therapeutic adjuncts to routine therapies have been suggested over time. Inhibition of angiogenesis by antiangiogenic drugs is one of the new approaches to inhibit the growth of malignant cells. Microvessel density (MVD) assay is a technique performed by counting immunohistochemically-stained blood vessels. Nowadays, athymic nude mice are widely used for the establishment of xenograft tumor models in cancer research. The aim of this study was to evaluate the MVD of autochthonous xenograft models of GBM isolated from Iranian patients for use in pharmaceutical research on antiangiogenic drugs. Fresh tumor samples of GBM were obtained from three patients in Cancer Institute of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Fall of 2010 and Winter of 2011. After preliminary processing, minced tumor samples were implanted heterotopically on flanks of athymic nude mice. Two months later, the animals were sacrificed and the xenograft tumor samples were sent to the pathology laboratory. After establishing the proof of the xenograft tumor type, MVD-CD34, an endothelial cell marker, was assessed by counting hot spot areas in 22 samples. The mean number of microvessels in these xenograft tumor models was 30±2.1. These autochthonous xenograft models of GBM can be used in preclinical settings for research on antiangiogenic drugs regarding a pharmacogenomics-based treatment regimen for the Iranian population. Moreover, such models can be used in future studies for determining the sensitivity or resistance to antiangiogenic drugs in individualized cancer therapy.