PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - UEHARA, FUMINARI
AU  - TOME, YASUNORI
AU  - YANO, SHUYA
AU  - MIWA, SHINJI
AU  - MII, SUMIYUKI
AU  - HIROSHIMA, YUKIHIKO
AU  - BOUVET, MICHAEL
AU  - MAEHARA, HIROKI
AU  - KANAYA, FUMINORI
AU  - HOFFMAN, ROBERT M.
TI  - A Color-coded Imaging Model of the Interaction of α<sub>v</sub> Integrin-GFP Expressed in Osteosarcoma Cells and RFP Expressing Blood Vessels in Gelfoam® Vascularized <em>In Vivo</em>
DP  - 2013 Apr 01
TA  - Anticancer Research
PG  - 1361--1366
VI  - 33
IP  - 4
4099  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/33/4/1361.short
4100  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/33/4/1361.full
SO  - Anticancer Res2013 Apr 01; 33
AB  - The integrin family of proteins has been shown to be involved in the malignant behavior of cells. We report here development of a color-coded imaging model that can visualize the interaction between αv integrin linked to green fluorescent protein (GFP) in osteosarcoma cells and blood vessels in Gelfoam® vascularized after implantation in red fluorescent protein (RFP) transgenic nude mice. Human 143B osteosarcoma cells expressing αv integrin-GFP were generated by transfection with an αv integrin-GFP vector. Gelfoam® (5×5 mm) was transplanted subcutaneously in transgenic RFP nude mice. The implanted Gelfoam® became highly vascularized with RFP vessels within 14 days. Skin flaps were made at days 7, 14, 21, 28 after transplantation of Gelfoam® for observing vascularization of the Gelfoam® using fluorescence imaging. Gelfoam® is a useful tool to observe angiogenesis in vivo. 143B cells (5×105) expressing αv integrin-GFP were injected into the Gelfoam® seven days after transplantation of Gelfoam®. Seven days after cancer-cell injection, cancer cells and blood vessels were observed in the Gelfoam® by color-coded confocal microscopy via the skin flap. The 143B cells expressing αv integrin-GFP proliferated into the Gelfoam®, which contained RFP-expressing blood vessels. Strong expression of αv integrin-GFP in 143B cells was observed near RFP vessels in the Gelfoam®. The observation of the behavior of αv integrin-GFP and blood vessels will allow further understanding of the role of αv integrin in cancer cells.