Cancer Mouse Models Shared Resource Core
Mission
The Cancer Mouse Models Shared Resource (CMMC) aspires to make translational research an attainable goal for all Massey researchers. The CMMC provides expertise and services that facilitate preclinical mouse models to support the development of novel cancer therapeutics and precision medicine at VCU Massey Cancer Center.
The CMMC is designed to work collaboratively with other Massey Cancer Center core facilities, providing assistance with mouse models of cancer by using a variety of drug delivery methods, surgical techniques and animal procedures. The shared resource also offers support with several different types of mouse models of cancer: syngeneic models, genetically engineered mice and xenograft models. The CMMC combines knowledge of preclinical drug testing and mouse models of cancer to design and perform elegant experiments that produce accurate data in a timely manner.
- Services
The Cancer Mouse Models Shared Resource (CMMC) provides the following services for cancer researchers:
Service Rate* Animal project and grant consultation Free of charge/ collaboration Orthotopic tumor growth
$50 Monitoring tumor growth by caliper measurements (GEM** or xenografts)
$50 Tumor metastasis studies (GEM** or xenografts)
[Spontaneous or experimental (intravenous, intraperitoneal, intracardiac) metastasis]$50 Imaging tumor growth and spread using the IVIS $55 Administration of therapeutic agents
$50 Animal survival surgery
$50 Euthanasia and collection of tumor tissue
$50 Data analysis
$50 Lentivirus (Lenti-tdTomato-Luc)
$18/tube Supply of NOD-SCID-IL2R-Gamma null (NSG) mice (in house bred)
$30/mouse, female
$15/mouse, male
(6 wks old)Microtome usage by user. Make reservation here
$8/hr *Rate at per hour to be charged in 15-minute increments
**The Transgenic/Knock-out Mouse facility can make and breed GEMs and our facility can perform tumor and cancer drug studies with these mice.To request a CMMC service, please complete and submit the online service request form.
- Equipment
The CMMC has exclusive use of the following equipment:
- an IVIS Spectrum Preclinical In Vivo Imaging System, a state-of-the-art system for non-invasively monitoring cancer growth and migration
- a motorized ultra-precise small animal stereotaxic instrument
- a dedicated room containing equipment for cancer cell culture and preparation
- anesthesia equipment
- several software packages that facilitate data management and analysis, including StudyLog
- Vectra Polaris Automated Quantitative Pathology Imaging System
- Leica BOND RX automated H&E staining system in the equipment tab.
- Contact
The Cancer Mouse Models Shared Resource is operated by Jennifer Koblinski and Bin Hu. We are ready to assist with your project. Please contact us to discuss how we can best facilitate your scientific goals, or complete the online service request form.
Jennifer Koblinski, Ph.D.
Director of the Cancer Mouse Models Shared Resource
Assistant professor, Department of Pathology
Office phone: (804) 827-0738
Email: jennifer.koblinski@vcuhealth.orgBin Hu, Ph.D.
Lab and research manager of the Cancer Mouse Models Shared Resource
Lab telephone: (804) 628-5040
Email: bhu@vcu.eduPamela J. Gigliotti
Histology technician
Email: pjgigliotti@vcu.eduCancer Mouse Models Shared Resource
MCC 1-112 (histology) and MCC 1-108 (mouse models)
(804) 628-5040
masseymouse@vcu.eduVita Kraskauskiene
Lab technician
vita.kraskauskiene@vcuhealth.org -
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Citation
All publications that include results, services or products generated by VCU Massey Cancer Center Shared Resources must include the following acknowledgement in the manuscript:
"Services and products in support of the research project were generated by the Virginia Commonwealth University Cancer Mouse Models Core Laboratory, supported, in part, with funding from NIH-NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA016059."
PubMed Central (PMC) ID numbers are required for those publications that use CCSG-supported shared resources. All of Massey Cancer Center's shared resources are supported by the CCSG. Information to assist you with this process can be found here.
Suggested grant language
The VCU Massey Cancer Center (MCC) Cancer Mouse Models Core (CMMC; Director Jennifer Koblinski, Ph.D.) was established in 2015 as a developing shared resource for MCC and is housed on the first floor of the Massey Building. The goal of the CMMC is to facilitate in vivo translational research by providing assistance with mouse models of cancer and in vivo drug testing. Staff members are experienced in designing and performing experiments using syngeneic, xenograft (including patient-derived xenograft), and genetically engineered mouse models of primary and metastatic cancer. CMMC staff members provide experiment consultation and train researchers in specific animal procedures. The facility is equipped with a cell culture and preparation room that includes a BSL2 cell culture hood, Zeiss Axio Zoom. V16 fluorescence dissection microscope, and BioRad TC20 automatic desktop cell counter; a KOPF 963SD Neurostar Motorized Ultra Precise Small Animal Stereotaxic Instrument for precise delivery of drug or tumor cells; a Xenogen IVIS Spectrum preclinical in vivo imaging system; and data management and analysis tools that include StudyLog Desktop software, Living Image 4.5.1 software, ImageJ software, and access to the MCC shared research drive. To support this infrastructure, the core employs a full time lab manager (Bin Hu, Ph.D.). The facility is supported, in part, by funding from the NIH-NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA 016059.
For assistance accessing information related to our programs, please contact:
Jennifer Koblinski, Ph.D.
Director of the Cancer Mouse Models Shared Resource
Assistant professor, Department of Pathology
Office phone: (804) 827-0738
Email: jennifer.koblinski@vcuhealth.org
