Metastasis is the most common cause of death for patients with cancer. To fully understand the steps involved in metastatic dissemination, in vivo models are required, of which murine ones are the most common. Therefore, preclinical imaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have mainly been developed for small mammals and their potential to monitor cancer growth and metastasis in nonmammalian models is not fully harnessed. We have here used MRI to measure primary neuroblastoma tumor size and metastasis in a chick embryo model. We compared its sensitivity and accuracy to end-point fluorescence detection upon dissection. Human neuroblastoma cells labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and micron-sized iron particles were implanted on the extraembryonic chorioallantoic membrane of the chick at E7. T2 RARE, T2-weighted fast low angle shot (FLASH) as well as time-of-flight MR angiography imaging were applied at E14. Micron-sized iron particle labeling of neuroblastoma cells allowed in ovo observation of the primary tumor and tumor volume measurement noninvasively. Moreover, T2 weighted and FLASH imaging permitted the detection of small metastatic deposits in the chick embryo, thereby reinforcing the potential of this convenient, 3R compliant, in vivo model for cancer research.

中文翻译：

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磁共振成像表征癌细胞转移的小鸡胚胎模型。

转移是癌症患者最常见的死亡原因。为了充分了解转移扩散的步骤，需要体内模型，其中最常用的是鼠模型。因此，诸如磁共振成像（MRI）的临床前成像方法主要是针对小型哺乳动物而开发的，它们在非哺乳动物模型中监测癌症生长和转移的潜力尚未得到充分利用。我们在这里使用MRI来测量鸡胚模型中原发性神经母细胞瘤的大小和转移。我们将其敏感性和准确性与解剖后的终点荧光检测进行了比较。在E7处，将标记有绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）和微米大小铁颗粒的人类神经母细胞瘤细胞植入雏鸡的胚外绒毛膜尿囊膜。T2稀有 在E14上应用了T2加权快速低角度拍摄（FLASH）和飞行时间MR血管造影成像。神经母细胞瘤细胞的微米大小的铁颗粒标记允许在卵内观察原发性肿瘤和无创测量肿瘤体积。此外，T2加权成像和FLASH成像技术可检测出雏鸡胚胎中小的转移性沉积物，从而增强了这种方便的，符合3R要求的体内癌症研究模型的潜力。