Table 1.
A comparison of the different mouse models of cancer
| Features: | Transplanted | Carcinogen- induced | Germline- GEM | Conditional- GEM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancers modeled: Examples: | All B16 melanoma EL4 lymphoma MC57 fibrosarcoma Lewis Lung carc. TRAMPC prostate |
Limited MCA sarcoma UV fibrosarcoma DMBA+TPA skin carc. |
All RIP-Tag2 pancreatic β-cell hyperplasia PyMT mammary TRAMP (Pro-Tag2) prostate |
All KrasLSL-G12D lung KrasLSL-G12D;PTENf/f ovarian KrasLSL-G12D;p53f/f sarcoma KrasLSL-G12D pancreatic |
| Time to progression: (survival time) | 0–4 weeks (after transplant) | 2–4 months (after induction) | 2–6 months (mouse age) | 2–12 months (after induction) |
| Genetics alterations mimic human cancers? | Unknown/yes | Unknown/yes | Yes (some models) | Yes |
| Histopathology mimics human cancers? | Limited cases | Yes (limited tumor types) | Yes | Yes |
| Tumor initiated by transformation of normal cells? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Timing of tumor initiation controlled? | Yes | Partially (variable latency & penetrance) | No (empirically defined) | Yes |
| Location of tumor formation controlled? | Yes (orthotopic) | Yes (limited tumor types) | Yes (transgenic); No (tumor suppressor KO) | Yes (limited technology) |
| Tumors in natural microenvironment? | No (maybe orthotopic) | Yes (carcinogens may affect environment) | Yes (oncogenic events not restricted to tumor) | Yes |
| Multifocal disease? | No | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| Track tumor antigen specific T cell responses? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Restrict tumor antigen expression to tumors? | Yes | NA | No | Possible |
| Regulated tumor antigen expression? | Possible | No | No | Possible |