Patent ID: 6235968
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: A01K,A61K,C07K

Abstract:
A method to observe angiogenesis in at least one solid tumor contained in a first mammalian subject, which method comprises optionally exposing at least one tissue containing said tumor of said subject and observing the blood vessels in said tumor, wherein said blood vessels contain a fluorescent contrast dye and said tumor expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) whereby the presence of angiogenesis is observable by the contrast dye in the blood vessels seen against the GFP of the tumor,wherein said subject has been admistered said contrast dye by intravenous injection;wherein said solid tumor that expresses GFP has been obtained by a method which comprises providing a tumor cell line comprising an expression system for said GFP;injecting a second mammalian subject which is genetically immunocompromised or syngeneic with said tumor cell line subcutaneously with said cell line to convert said cell line to a subcutaneous tumor; andsurgically implanting said subcutaneous tumor into said first mammalian subject which is genetically immunocompromised or syngeneic with said tumor cell line in a location orhotopic to said tumor cell line; orwherein said tumor is endogenous to said first mammalian subject and has been modified to express GFP by a method which comprises infecting said endogenous tumor contained in said first mammalian subject with a retroviral vector derived from pLEIN comprising an expression system for said GFP by injecting said vector locally to said tumor.