Cancer / Oncology

The cancer / oncology services are offered in co-operation with VivaCell.

Cancer / Oncology: in vitro and in vivo Services

Models

• In vitro testing methods include proliferation inhibition assays using human tumour cell lines, as well as clonogenic assays with human tumour xenografts, human tumour cell lines, and hematopoetic stem cells. More than 350 solid tumour models have been established in serial passage as well as 20 permanent tumour cell lines (co-operation). In addition, a panel of 60 cell lines, commonly used in cancer research such as A549, MCF-7, Caco-2, HT29 or PC3 are also available. Cancer cell lines overexpressing the MDR I gene are also available for drug research.
  
  
• In vivo assays include subcutaneous models, orthotopic models with human xenografts, murine tumour models (co-operation) and models of topic co-carcinogenesis inducing papilloma-like skin tumours in athymic mice.
  

Parameters

• proliferation, XTT assays, determination of DNA content by FACS analyses
• cytokines (e.g. IL-6), growth factors (e.g. EGF), etc.
• angiogenesis (e.g. VEGF, angiopoyetin I and II, nephrin, i.e.): in vitro models of angiogenesis using HUVECs and Matrigel Basement Membrane Matrix; in vivo models of angiogenesis by corneal neovascularization assays
• cell cycle analyses, cytotoxicity by measuring PI staining, determination of DNA fragmentation (apoptosis) by TUNEL
• transmembrane potential of the mitochondria, calcium and pH mobilisation
• reactive oxygen species (ROS)
• Fas clustering and signalling in type I and II cells for apoptosis
• caspases (3,8,6 and 9) activity by spectrofluorometry and western blots
• Bcl-2, Bcl-X, Bax, Bid and cytoplasmic cytochrome C by western blots
• apoptosis and cell cycle analyses in MDR cell lines
• phosphatidyl serine expression at the cell surface by Anexin V binding
• integrity of tubulin and actin by fluorescence microscopy
• in vitro assays for tubulin polimerization
• cyclins acivity by IP and western blots
• activation of transcription factors
• signalling studies MAPKs, IKK
• determination of telomerase activity in Hela cells by telomerase PCR ELISA
• determination of estrogenic or anti-estrogenic activity of phytoextracts using ER espression vectors (a y ß subunits) and a specific ER responsiveness promoter driven the luciferase gene
• customized "knock out" cell lines for specific genes
• DNA microassays for cancer-related genes in tumoral cell lines

Other specific cellular and molecular techniques are available upon request.

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