Table 3.
Established Animal Models to Study VS and NF2
| Animal Model | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
| Periostin-Cre NF2flox/flox mouse Gelhausen et al., 20159 |
True transgenic model of NF2 and NF2-associated VS | Long time to develop VS, high cost, difficulty maintaining and obtaining synchronous tumors, no obvious cochlear pathology |
| HEI-93 cells xenografted into mouse sciatic nerve Gao et al., 201510 |
Rapid tumor formation, ease of access and measurement of tumor growth | Not anatomically accurate (mice do not develop hearing loss or vestibular dysfunction), limited neurological assessment possible |
| HEI-93 cells with fluorescent protein and luciferase reporters, xenografted into mouse sciatic nerve Saydam et al., 201111 |
Rapid tumor formation, ease of access, reporter provided a non-invasive and reliable means to monitor growth in vivo by bioluminescence and to locate tumor cells by fluorescence microscopy | Not anatomically accurate (mice do not develop hearing loss or vestibular dysfunction), limited neurological assessment possible |
| Mouse Nf2-/- or HEI-193 cells xenografted in meninges Gao et al., 201510 |
Intracranial window present for longitudinal imaging; intravital microscopy of blood vessels | Superficial implantation, cannot assess hearing loss or vestibular dysfunction |
| Mouse Nf2-/- Schwann cells grafted into mouse CPA Chen et al., 201912 |
Appropriate tumor microenvironment, hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction present, intravital microscopy and ultrasound through intracranial window | Not NF2 |
| Mouse SC4 Schwannoma cell line implanted into auditory-vestibular nerve complex Bonne 201613 |
Appropriate tumor microenvironment, hearing loss, bioluminescence and MRI monitoring tumor growth | Significant hearing at implantation and long recovery, sacrificed at 21 days |
| Mouse Nf2-/- Schwann cells grafted into CPA of rats Dinh et al., 201867 |
Appropriate tumor microenvironment, hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction present | Not NF2, no intravital microscopy or ultrasound |
The type of animal model, its major advantages, and main drawbacks are listed below. Details are included in Supplementary Materials.