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World J Gastroenterol. Mar 28, 2012; 18(12): 1286-1294
Published online Mar 28, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i12.1286
Mouse models of pancreatic cancer
Marta Herreros-Villanueva, Elizabeth Hijona, Angel Cosme, Luis Bujanda
Marta Herreros-Villanueva, Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Division of Oncology Research, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, United States
Elizabeth Hijona, Angel Cosme, Luis Bujanda, Department of Gastroenterology, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), University of the Basque Country, Donostia Hospital, San Sebastian 20014, Spain
Author contributions: Herreros-Villanueva M and Hijona E designed and wrote the paper; Cosme A and Bujanda L designed and reviewed the paper.
Supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERehd)
Correspondence to: Luis Bujanda, MD, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), University of the Basque Country, Donostia Hospital, Avda Sancho El Sabio 17- 2D, San Sebastian 20010, Spain. medik@telefonica.net
Telephone: +34-94-3007173 Fax: +34-94-3007065
Received: December 19, 2011
Revised: February 2, 2012
Accepted: February 16, 2012
Published online: March 28, 2012
Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal of human malignancies ranking 4th among cancer-related death in the western world and in the United States, and potent therapeutic options are lacking. Although during the last few years there have been important advances in the understanding of the molecular events responsible for the development of pancreatic cancer, currently specific mechanisms of treatment resistance remain poorly understood and new effective systemic drugs need to be developed and probed. In vivo models to study pancreatic cancer and approach this issue remain limited and present different molecular features that must be considered in the studies depending on the purpose to fit special research themes. In the last few years, several genetically engineered mouse models of pancreatic exocrine neoplasia have been developed. These models mimic the disease as they reproduce genetic alterations implicated in the progression of pancreatic cancer. Genetic alterations such as activating mutations in KRas, or TGFb and/or inactivation of tumoral suppressors such as p53, INK4A/ARF BRCA2 and Smad4 are the most common drivers to pancreatic carcinogenesis and have been used to create transgenic mice. These mouse models have a spectrum of pathologic changes, from pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia to lesions that progress histologically culminating in fully invasive and metastatic disease and represent the most useful preclinical model system. These models can characterize the cellular and molecular pathology of pancreatic neoplasia and cancer and constitute the best tool to investigate new therapeutic approaches, chemopreventive and/or anticancer treatments. Here, we review and update the current mouse models that reproduce different stages of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and will have clinical relevance in future pancreatic cancer developments.

Keywords: K-Ras; Mouse models; Transgenic; Pancreatic cancer; Xenografts