Customized In Vivo Ocular Models ace

Customized Rabbit Models of Uveal Melanoma

Animal models are crucial for the study of tumorigenesis and therapy in oncology research, and an ideal UM animal model should mirror human UM pathogenesis and cellular behavior. As one of the global leaders in eye disease models, Ace Therapeutics offers a variety of ocular disease models to meet your needs. Here, we established a rabbit uveal melanoma model by introducing uveal melanoma cells into the sub-choroidal space of New Zealand white rabbits. This helps our clients better understand ocular tumors and evaluate new therapies.

Rabbit Models of Uveal Melanoma

What Is Uveal Melanoma?

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular tumor in adults and the second most common type of melanoma after cutaneous melanoma. It originates from the intraocular melanocytes of the choroid, ciliary body, and/or iris. Clinical treatment strategies include brachytherapy, surgical resection, and entire sphere resection. Given the frequent use of plaque brachytherapy in UM treatment, enucleation rates are reduced, limiting the number of eyes available for investigation. Additionally, human UM cell lines are limited and expensive. Therefore, an effective uveal melanoma animal model is urgently needed to understand UM tumor growth and metastasis behavior and to test potential therapeutic approaches. It is generally accepted that, in addition to transgenic models, iatrogenically induced ocular tumor models are the most suitable choice for oncology research. This involves implanting animal and human uveal melanoma cell lines into animals' eyes to mimic tumor behavior. Various routes of inoculation, including into the anterior and posterior chambers, and retro-orbitally, have been used to obtain tumor growth mimicking uveal melanoma.

Fig. 1. The most common trajectories of injections to form animal models of primary UM. (Uner OE, et al., 2022)

Service Overview

The relatively large size of rabbit eyes compared to rodents allows routine examination of the posterior segment of the eye by fundoscopy and fundus photography. In recent years, Ace Therapeutics' researchers have worked to develop a rabbit model for studying uveal melanoma. It is worth mentioning that our scientists selected Green's melanoma cell line to induce uveal melanoma in New Zealand white rabbits. This is because using this cell line in rabbits does not require immunosuppression. This allows for a better understanding of ocular tumors and the evaluation of new therapies.

Explore Ace Therapeutics' Rabbit Models of Uveal Melanoma

Ace Therapeutics' rabbit model of ueal melanoma is the introduction of choroidal melanoma into the sub-choroidal space of New Zealand white rabbits. Specifically, our investigators perform a sclerotomy 1 mm posterior to the limbus in New Zealand white rabbits and a mini-retinotomy using a 33-gauge cannula. Subsequently, a viscoelastic substance was injected into the sub-choroidal space using the same cannula, resulting in choroidal detachment. Finally, the choroidal melanoma cell suspension is placed opposite the retinotomy and the sclera is closed.

Model Characteristics: Choroidal melanomas as small as 5 optic disc diameters were observed after 1 month.

In order to monitor the specific conditions of New Zealand white rabbits injected with choroidal melanoma cell suspension to assess the presence and extent of tumors in the eyes, Ace Therapeutics uses the following indicators as evaluation endpoints, including but not limited to:

Ophthalmology and ultrasonography.
Histopathological examination.
Optical microscopy analysis.

Ace Therapeutics aims to provide global customers with a powerful experimental tool to evaluate the effectiveness of potential therapies against uveal melanoma. If you are interested in our services or need more detailed information, please feel free to contact us. Our experienced scientists are ready to help you!

References

Uner OE, Gandrakota N, Azarcon CP, et al. Animal Models of Uveal Melanoma. Ann Eye Sci. 2022, 7:7.
Cao J, Jager MJ. Animal Eye Models for Uveal Melanoma. Ocul Oncol Pathol. 2015, 1(3):141-50.

For Research Use Only.

Get in Touch