Table 3. Comparison for the ability of tumour formation, recurrence and metastasis between the control Flag HCT116 and the Flag-HOXB9 HCT116 cells in nude mice.
| Groups | Flag HCT116 (No. mice=10) (%) | Flag-HOXB9 HCT116 (No. mice=9) (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of cells injected subcutaneously |
1 × 106 |
1 × 106 |
| Tumour formation on day 28th |
10/10 (100%) |
6/9 (66.7%) |
| Surgery on day 28th |
All alive |
One dead of unknown reason |
| Recurrence in situ |
3/10 (30%) |
1/8 (12.5%) |
| Metastasis to the liver |
7/10 (70%) |
3/8 (37.5%) |
| Metastasis to the lung | 5/10 (50%) | 3/8 (37.5%) |
Balb/c nude mice were implanted subcutaneously into the flank with 1 × 106 cells, which are stably overexpressing HOXB9 and the control vector separately. The ability of tumor formation was significantly decreased by HOXB9 stably expression (P=0.0016). Tumours were dissected on day 28th when the diameter of the tumours reached to approximately 1 cm and the mice were continued to maintain. After another 28 days growth (on day 56th), mice were killed using euthanasia, and tumor recurrence and metastasis were measured.