Figure 9. Newly isolated murine bone marrow-derived cells infected with rKSHV.219 generate productively infected tumors in nude mice.

(A) Graph depicting growth kinetics in athymic nu/nu mice. 3×10⁶ mECrK cells were subcutaneously injected into the hind flanks of 4 athymic nu/nu mice. Within 4–6 weeks solid tumors were palpable and growth was monitored by caliper measurements. (B) mECrK tumor cells express CD31. Cells from a dissociated tumor were immunostained for CD31, an angiogenic marker and analyzed by flow cytometry for GFP/CD31 co-expression. About half of the CD31+ cells are also rKSHV.219 infected as determined by GFP expression. The vast majority of rKSHV.219 infected cells also expressed CD31. (C) Tumors were excised and fixed in gluteraldehyde for TEM imaging. TEM revealed the presence of herpesvirus-like particles in vivo. Bar = 300 nm.