Athymic Animal & Preclinical Therapeutics

Facility Overview

The Athymic Animal & Preclinical Therapeutics Shared Resource consists of two physical sites, one at Case Western Reserve University and one at Cleveland Clinic at the Taussig Cancer Institute. The purpose of the facility is to help principal investigators of CWRU and Cleveland Clinic perform tumor experiments, angiogenesis studies, and pharmacokinetic studies in mice. The facility routinely conducts animal experiments involving several syngeneic murine tumor models, and several human xenograft (athymic nude mouse, and NSG – NOD scid IL2Rg mouse) tumor models. In addition, the facility has developed several orthotopic tumor models: brain, lung, breast, renal, spleen, skin, ovarian, prostate, bladder, and pancreas. The facility is always willing to develop additional new models.

    Resources

    • Laminar flow work station
    • Laboratory work room containing two laminar flow hoods and a type B, 100% exhaust biohazard hood to accommodate preparation of cancer cells, anticancer agents, and other pharmaceutical agents
    • Full complement of stainless steel surgical instruments
    • Pass-through autoclave connecting the three animal rooms
    • Steris "super-autoclave" installed adjacent to the facility as a backup

    Services

    The Athymic Animal & Preclinical Therapeutics Shared Resource utilizes murine models to facilitate in vivo cancer drug screening, drug evaluation and drug development. Services include drug administration (sub-cutaneous, intravenous, intraperitoneal, prolonged slow-release silastic capsule), blood drawing (repetitive - saphenous vein, or terminal – cardiac puncture) for pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) studies, absorption distribution metabolism excretion (ADME) studies, syngeneic and xenograft tumor models, orthotopic tumor models. Services provided help in evaluation of new pharmacologic agents by providing data on tumor growth, metastasis, angiogenesis and gene expression. The facility also provides consultation services to assist the investigator in all aspects of animal tumor model development.

    Fees

    NSG mouse (NOD/SCID/IL2Rgamma) breeding

    • $70 per mouse (*new price as of Jan 1, 2019)

    Athymic mouse (NCR nu/nu) breeding

    • $50 per mouse (*new price as of Jan 1, 2019)

    Athymic mouse (NOD/SCID) breeding

    • $60 per mouse (*new price as of Jan 1, 2019)

    Animal housing, mice

    • $1.25/cage/day (*new price as of Jan 1, 2019)

    Animal housing, rats

    • $1.30/cage/day

    Experimental techniques training

    • $40.00/person/hour

    Blood draw

    • Cardiac puncture: $8.55
    • Retro-orbital: $6.09

    Dermal assay 

    • $16.54 per Assay 

    Digital photograph imaging

    • $5.83 per image

    Drug administration

    • IM: $1.26
    • IP: $1.26
    • IV: $3.68
    • SQ: $1.26
    • PO: $1.26
    • Sterile: $4.88

    Measure of tumor

    • (MWF for duration of study): $12.13

    Measure of mouse weight

    • (every Wed for duration of study): $6.09
    •  

    Organ and tissue harvest

    • Formalin or OCT: $6.09
    • Liquid Nitrogen: $8.61

    Tech time

    • $25.00 per hour

    Total body radiation

    • $1.26 

    Tumor cell inoculations

    • Orthotopic: $8.55
    • Subcutaneous Xenograft or Syngraft: $2.00

    Tumor cell line expansions

    • $30.40

    Xenogen imaging

    • $11.60

    Credit record

    • $1.00

    Miscellaneous

    • $1.10

    All services performed at $40/hour (*new price as of May 1, 2019)

    • Drug administration including intravenously (IV), intramuscularly (IM), intraperitonealy (IP), and subcutaneously (SC)
    • Blood draw including cardiac, retro-orbital and submandibular
    • Tumor cell injection including cardiac and tail vein
    • Xenografts: including subcutaneous or orthotopic transplantation into a variety of organs (including mammary fat pad, ovary, oviduct, kidney, pancreas, and brain)
    • Mouse weight and tumor caliper measurements
    • Delivery and imaging of luciferase-labeled tumors
    • Organ and tissue harvest
    • Assistance in preparing IACUC protocols for individual laboratories

    Contact for Further Information

    CWRU Facility Taussig Facility
    Location: School of Medicine, East B21, 22, 23
    Wolstein Research Bldg, SB162
    Location: Lerner Research Institute, NC4-12B
    Manager: Mamuni Swain, MS
    216.368.3972
    mxs1272@case.edu
    Director: Daniel J. Lindner, MD, PhD
    216.445.0548
    lindned@ccf.org
    Veterinary Services: W. John Durfee, DVM
    216.368.3940
    jwd7@case.edu
    Research Technologist: Yvonne Parker
    parkery2@ccf.org
    Core Technician: Pamela Steele
    216.368.3169
    pas@case.edu