Xenotransplantation of cryopreserved equine squamous cell carcinoma to athymic nude and SCID mice

Cryopreserved equine ocular squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was inoculated subcutaneously into 15 athymic nude and 15 SCID mice. Xenotransplantation resulted in tumor growth in two athymic nude mice and 1 SCID mouse. Histological appearance and immunohistochemical characterization using cytokeratin 5/6 markers and p53 markers of the tumor grown in mice was in full accord with the original equine tumors. No evidence of metastasis was noted in any mouse. This model may serve as a relevant in vivo model for studying the biology of equine ocular SCC and for the testing of new therapeutic modalities.