The ability to study these mouse melanoma cell lines both in culture and in mice with an intact immune system is an experimental advantage," explained Brinckerhoff.
The team developed a protocol that allows mouse BRAF melanoma cells to grow readily in culture and to be transplanted in syngeneic mice. The cell lines are genetically compatible with a strain of mice that are immunologically competent, while human cells need to be placed into immunologically weakened mice in order to grow.