Melanoma in humans is on the rise, with one in 50 individuals likely to have the disease. By developing cell lines that grow readily in culture, Dartmouth investigators led by Constance Brinckerhoff, PhD have created a fast-track research tool that remains applicable to many scientists who use mouse melanoma as a model system. The "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.